


Tales of Zaofu

by OurImpavidHeroine



Series: A Precarious Family Legacy or: How the Beifongs Got Their Groove Back [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Beifong Family Dramalama, Multi, One-Shot Collection, Post-Canon, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2018-08-22 23:55:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8305990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurImpavidHeroine/pseuds/OurImpavidHeroine
Summary: A collection of one-shot stories set in the city of Zaofu: Part of my post-series and post-canon Wuko universe. No rhyme or reason to them; sometimes they just come to me, sometimes people request them, sometimes they are scenes that don't make it through cuts. I'll just post them as I write them!These one-shots will be kept in chronological order.





	1. A Breathless Waltz: Su Gets A New Gramophone

**Author's Note:**

> (Some of these drabbles were already posted in my [Bits and Pieces; Dribs and Drabs](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4068133/chapters/9157390) collection and have been moved here for ease of reading.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Suyin and Baatar Sr: _Slow dancing._

“Excuse me? Miss Beifong?” Baatar stood next to the open flap of the room-sized tent she’d claimed for her own out at the building site, a large box in his arms. “I'm just letting you know I'm back.”

Su looked up from the letter she was writing and smiled. “It’s just Su, remember?” Oh, he was handsome. So handsome. He’d been recommended to her as _the_ up and coming young architect in the Earth Kingdom; full of brilliant ideas, wild ideas, ideas that most other established architects wanted nothing to do with. _That’s the one for me_ , she’d thought as she walked down the street of the Middle Ring, looking for his office. Yes, she’d been told he was young. She hadn’t been told how good looking he was, though. Tall, broad shouldered, unruly black hair that tumbled over his forehead, olive green eyes hidden behind wire-rimmed spectacles. She’d walked into his office, taken one look at him and perched herself on his desk, just to see what he’d do. 

He’d shoved his spectacles up his nose with his thumb and forefinger, blinked once and had said, cool as you please, _May I help you, Miss?_

She’d been so afraid he wouldn’t take the job. She’d already tried four other architects at that point. _A city made of metal? Impossible!_ she’d been told. She had explained it all to him, though, this Baatar, hailing from up north, and he had paged through her crude drawings, saying nothing, frowning just slightly as she spoke. Finally he looked up at her and he’d grinned, and his entire face transformed. _You have the money to do this?_ he asked, and she’d grinned back. _The Beifong fortune is at your disposal_ , she’d replied and he nodded. _We’re going to need it_ , he said, and her heart had leapt in her chest.

“I was able to get most of what we need. I’m still not satisfied with the glass for the windows, though. I’ve heard there’s a company in Republic City that might fulfill our requirements. I took the liberty of wiring them and asking them to send out samples. I hope that’s all right.”

“Goes without saying,” she said, waving him off. “I leave that in your very capable hands.” She looked at the box he was carrying. “Is that my package?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied. “If I may?” He gestured with the box towards her table and she motioned him in. He had such polite and old fashioned manners, always so formal. He had told her once, when she asked, that it was how he had been raised. Mountain manners, he’d called them. She wondered what he’d be like without those manners. She wondered, not for the first time, if she could convince him to drop them.

She quickly bent the nails out of the wood, motioning Baatar to help her remove what was inside. It was a gramophone, a small one, one that she could keep in her tent. She’d missed having her music around, missed having its accompaniment when she was practicing her dancing. There was an old phonograph at her grandparents’ house in Gaoling that she could have taken, but it was large and difficult to move. 

“It’s a gramophone,” he said, staring down at it.

“Sure is,” she replied, and she pulled the box of records that she’d brought with her from under her camp bed. “Wind it up for me, would you?” She grabbed the first disc and put it on as Baatar continued to wind it up, waiting for him to finish before she set the needle down carefully.

The music came through the large bell; clear and easy. [A man’s voice sang out.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAeMqGibd9g)

 _Meet me tonight in dreamland,_  
_under the silvery moon;_  
_Meet me tonight in dreamland,_  
_where love's sweet roses bloom._

Su was smiling down at the gramophone when a strong hand took hers into it, spinning her effortlessly into Baatar’s arms. He moved her across the waxed canvas floor of her tent gracefully, waltzing her about. Her heart started to speed up. She had no idea why; it wasn’t the first time she’d been danced with, not by a long shot. She was no innocent maiden; she hadn’t been for a long time. But there was something about this man, this formal man, with his spectacles and his quiet way of speaking, his distracted air when he was working, the way he looked at her sometimes, like he wanted to kiss the sense right out of her. 

“Sorry, Miss Beifong,” he murmured into her ear. “I’m not sure what came over me.”

“It’s Su,” she replied automatically, pressing herself into him until there wasn’t any air between the two of them, her mouth hovering a mere breath away from his.

“Susi,” he whispered, and then his mouth was on hers.


	2. A Hypogeal Connection: Toph Teaches Huan To Bend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph Beifong begins to work with Huan.
> 
> This one is for Jac. To motherhood, with love.

She'd finally managed, with Baatar's help, to get the boy outside. He'd tried to explain to her that Huan didn't like leaving the house, that he preferred to be in his own bedroom or his mother's office, but she couldn't very well teach him how to bend inside, could she? She'd already had a throw down fight with Su about it, but the thing about Su was that she couldn't stand conflict, which is why she always managed to slither out of every damn problem she ever had. She could wear Su down, no problem. It was Lin who dug in and refused to move, Lin who had never backed down from a thing in her entire life.

But she wasn't going to think about Lin today.

She'd been able to touch the rest of Su's kids, map out who they were, feeling for what was familiar. Junior's blunt, strong fingers reminded her of her father's, those working hands he'd always been ashamed of, trying to cover the taint of the mines with costly oils that had always made her nose twitch. He was light on his feet, though, and she thought that his occasional stumbles weren't due to clumsiness but rather over the boy not paying attention to his surroundings. Always with his nose in a book, according to his mother. Little Opal nearly flew across the ground, skipping and dancing, her small hands warm and affectionate. She was a hugger, that one, easy to love, even if she did have a stubborn streak in her like a good Beifong girl should. The twins, identical except for a small scar on Wei's left palm, even walked the same way, difficult to tell apart, the two of them revolving around each other without much space for anyone else. But this boy, this Huan, she'd never been allowed to touch him. She'd tried, but he'd always screamed, striking out at her. _Mom, please, he doesn't like it!_ Su had said, grabbing at her wrist. _He doesn't like to be touched._ As if she needed Su to tell her. She could feel how the boy recoiled when people came near him, how he'd rock back and forth for hours, how his body would stiffen, tense and quivering. She didn't need to see him to know that he was suffering. 

She needed to get through to him. He needed a chance, no matter how difficult it was or how long it took.

Because it never mattered how capable you were, not when it came down to being different. She could do everything a sighted person could do that didn't involve her eyes and people still refused to treat her like everyone else. Her parents, her enemies, even her friends. She'd never forgotten, when she first realized she was pregnant with Lin, how Katara had tried to talk her out of raising her. Katara! Of all people! _I just don't think you realize how difficult a baby can be, or even a toddler,_ she'd said, Tenzin in her arms, Kya banging out a discordant tune with two wooden spoons on the floor. _A baby isn't a rock you can bend, you know. What about its father? I know he's young, Toph, but surely he can help you raise a baby. After all, it's his child, too._

Aang had chimed in as well; worse, even Sokka had voiced his doubts. That one had hurt her, deeper than she could even admit to herself at the time. Oh, Sokka had devastated her more than all the rest of them put together. She hadn't spoken to him for months, refused to see him until Suki had come to her door with a present for newborn Lin and had told her to pull her head out of her ass and talk to him before the rift became a permanent one.

The irony of the thing was that she'd already been thinking of ending the pregnancy. She hadn't meant to get pregnant, that was for damn sure. Kanto was just a boy himself, nice enough for a fling but no one she had any intentions of spending her life with. Her work kept her out at all hours and she wasn't exactly motherhood material, she knew that. She'd been so pissed, though, so fucking hurt that they had all tried to warn her off motherhood that she had gone ahead and had the baby anyhow, just to show them, had moved into the ridiculous house her parents had built for her, firing the staff they had hired, including the nanny for the baby. She was determined to do it all by herself, to show them all how very wrong they were.

Stupid. So fucking stupid. It wasn't that she couldn't manage Lin; she could and she did. She didn't need to see the baby to feed her or change her damn diaper. But it had been hard. She had been exhausted with all of it, with the constant feedings and trying to juggle her responsibilities at work. She'd regretted letting the nanny go within a week but she wasn't about to admit she needed anyone's help. When she'd gone back to work when Lin was six months old she had tried to take Lin to the office with her but it had backfired, of course. A police station was no place for an infant. At that point she'd hired a sitter during her work hours but had determined that she'd do it all on her own otherwise. She was Toph Beifong, after all. She didn't need anything from anybody.

Once, when Lin was a toddler, she had disappeared; she'd frantically run from room to room, desperately sending forth her seismic sense, calling for her until she was nearly hoarse. It was Sokka who had found Lin when he'd stopped by and heard her panicked shouting; he'd searched for all of a minute before plucking her off of the top of the kitchen table where she'd fallen asleep and putting her back into her arms, Lin waking up bewildered as to what all of the fuss was.

She'd spent the next week carefully bending a ribbon of marble into each and every wooden thing in that house, including the doors and window sills.

Suyin had been unplanned as well; she'd told herself that she was an old pro and could handle it. And then she had turned around and done it all wrong all over again, refusing another nanny, expecting Lin to take on far too much responsibility. Her mother had stepped in at that point and had told her she was going to keep the girls during the summers; Katara started taking them to the Island on a fairly regular basis, watching them for days in a row when she'd put in extra time at work, trying to deal with the burgeoning Triad problem. She'd been so worn out, so busy, that she'd just let the girls go. Look at what it had gotten her. Lin had grown up bitter and angry; Su had been reckless and selfish, both of them resentful of her distance and her dedication to her job instead of them. Whose fault had it been but hers? 

If she could go back in time she wouldn't give them up, no. She loved them in ways that sometimes still shocked her, deep and with all of her otherwise jaded heart. She may have been a shit mother, but she loved them, so fucking much. But if she could go back, if she could change things, she would have taken the help. The nannies, the house staff, all the times Katara had gently tried to offer her advice that she had angrily dismissed the way she had always shunned any counsel anyone had ever tried to give her. Damn foolish of her. Katara had three kids and all of them had turned out well, still close after all these years. She could have used some of Katara's advice, freely shared, given with love. It wasn't her eyes that had blinded her that time. 

Well, hindsight was hindsight. She couldn't change it now. At least she'd been able to reconnect with Su, if not Lin.

But she couldn't think any more about Lin today. Her grandson was sitting next to her, rocking back and forth, a thin rhythmic whine escaping from his mouth. Su didn't think he was a bender, but she knew better. He was a bender, of that she was certain. She could feel it in him; sense the connection, trapped somewhere behind those walls that kept him locked inside. She remembered too well those early years that she had spent blind, cut off from everything. She'd been so helpless and alone, struggling to break free of her soft parental prison. Her world had changed in an instant the day she had crawled between the badgermoles' claws and had seen them through the earth; her freedom established in her filthy little hands and feet. How could she do any less for Huan? She'd failed at motherhood when it came to her girls; she'd be damned if she'd fail this child as well. She took up a small rock into her hand and, reaching over, touched his fist, knowing not to take it personally when he recoiled. She tapped his hand gently with the rock.

"All right, Huan," she said. "Grandma is going to teach you how to see. It doesn't matter how long it takes. I won't give up on you. Not ever."


	3. A Familiar Supervision: Nanny Serves A Snack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Beifong's Nanny cares for her young charges.
> 
> Written for the Different POV Challenge on Tumblr. An Anon requested this one!

"Nana! Nana!"

Nanny Aditi smiled as she put her knitting down. There was her little Wing, her darling, her sweet precious morsel. "Nanny is right here, my love. Did you wake from your nap?" She stood and looked down at him, sitting up in his wee crib, his chubby face wreathed in a smile. "Come to Nanny, then." She held down her arms and Wing crawled right in, burying his face into her substantial bosom. He really was a delectable dumpling, nearly as delicious as her small Opal. "There's my little koala lamb!" Oh! Those black curls! She could eat him right up! Wing sighed happily and burrowed in even deeper.

Suddenly she heard a giggle; she glanced over at Wei's bed to find him clad in nothing but a pair of socks, grinning up at her. "Wei! You naughty thing! Now you stay right there so Nanny can put your diaper back on you!"

In a flash he climbed out of his bed, chuckling as he quickly toddled his way through the nursery. Oh, that boy! He had his share of mischief and more. And Nanny was far too old to be chasing a toddler down the hall, that was for certain. Clutching Wing to her, she sailed out after him. "Wei! Come back here!" Too late! He made it to the open door and down the hallway he went. "Wei! Come along, my love, Nanny is not as fast as you are!"

By the time she got to the hallway herself he was already halfway down it; you would never guess that a baby with such fat thighs could move that quickly but there you'd be wrong. She was saved, however, by Junior coming around the corner, his schoolbooks in hand. "Oh Junior, my love, could you catch your brother for me?"

He shoved up his glasses. "Sure, Nanny." He dropped his bag and took off down the hall, long legs flying, and caught up with his brother in a jiffy. He picked him up and despite Wei's squalls of thwarted fury, carried him back towards the nursery. "You better not pee on me," he warned him, as Wei kicked and squirmed. "Knock it off, Wei!"

"Oh thank you, dearest. Nanny's in no shape to run after him." She kissed him on his cheek and he smiled at her. Oh, her Junior! Her oldest boy! He was going to be such a handsome man, she just knew it. Tall like his father, she had no doubt, with his brains as well. Weren't they all proud of how smart he was! He wasn't a bender, of course, but neither was his father and neither was Nanny, for that matter. Bending wasn't everything, and with his mind? What would he ever need with bending? Why, he was reading by the time he was two, although his mother had tried to tell Nanny that she was mistaken. Mistaken! She had been working as a nanny for over fifty years now. She knew when a child was reading instead of just reciting, thank you very much! Good as gold, her Junior, so clever with his hands, too. Just last week she'd mentioned that her favorite chair had broken and had found it, two days later, back in its spot, cleverly fixed. She'd praised Junior to the sky as he blushed and ducked his head. He'd told her that his father had helped but she had assured him that it was to be expected as he learned and didn't take away from his accomplishment! Always seeking his father's approval, that one; Nanny worried a little. He thought the sun rose and set on his father and that kind of hero worship could sour with the first disappointment into disillusionment. She'd seen it happen before. 

By the time they got back to the nursery and she'd put Wing down and managed to get a diaper and some clothes back on Wei one of the maids had come up with the children's afternoon snack. Junior usually ate with them there in the nursery; he'd often do his schoolwork there if the twins weren't too disruptive. Opal put down her dolls and came to eat; she'd gotten a scratch across her chin that morning while trying to pick a rose from the garden and Nanny had bandaged it, of course. Junior made a fuss of her, pretending to listen to her heart to make sure she was fine and making her giggle by letting her ride on his back, claiming to be a fierce dragon, romping about the room. She put the twins into their chairs, tied on their bibs, put some food in front of them and called Junior and Opal to eat. Then she went to go and get Huan.

Huan was sitting in a spill of light coming in from the window in the far corner. His hands were in front of him and he was twitching them to and fro, his mouth moving soundlessly. She gently lowered herself to the floor, trying to ignore the sharp twinge of pain in her lower back. Nanny was getting too old to be sitting on the floor like this. She watched him for a moment; he showed no outward signs of noticing she was there but he was aware of her, she knew. It was in the way his eyes slid in the other direction, the way the air huffed out of his mouth. "It is time for snack, Huan," she said as quietly as she could. He did not like loud noises, this child. They startled him; a particularly sudden noise could set him off for hours, wailing his distress, hands clapped over his ears, eyes screwed shut. Oh, Nanny wished she knew what to do with this boy. His grandmother had come to Zaofu some months prior; she was staying in her own cottage on the far side of the estate and every morning she came to fetch him. She told her daughter that she was going to teach him to earthbend. Nanny had her doubts. She might be the greatest earthbender alive but she didn't know a thing about Huan if she thought it was as easy as just introducing him to the idea and letting him learn it. 

Oh, but Nanny didn't like her, the high and mighty Toph Beifong. She rarely had anything to say to Junior; she ignored the twins almost entirely. She seemed to like Opal well enough, but that was of no consequence; Nanny didn't know anyone who didn't like Opal, the precious sweet thing that she was. She spoke to Nanny herself like she was a fool. Her daughter, a woman who ran an entire city, was reduced to pleading for any scraps of recognition she could get from her mother. She was downright rude to her son-in-law. She was different with Huan, however. Nanny did have to admit that. She seemed to have an endless amount of patience with Huan; at first Mister Beifong had come to fetch him every morning, straight after breakfast, to go to his grandmother's cottage for his so-called training. Huan had resisted at first; he'd wailed and carried on, even biting his father once. (Thankfully Mister Beifong was the kindest and gentlest man Nanny had ever known, he didn't punish poor Huan for what he couldn't help, and Nanny was quite convinced that Huan wasn't being naughty. He really couldn't help the things he did.) But now Huan seemed to expect it, and would allow his grandmother to come and fetch him herself from the nursery, walking behind her as she took him outside. Nanny had spied on them a few times and seemed like nothing to her! He sat on the ground next to his grandmother and she handed him a rock. Nanny had no idea how this was supposed to help him; he only rarely spoke and getting the poor child to do something as simple as eating was like pure torture. She wasn't sure how giving him rocks was supposed to do a single solitary thing. He wasn't protesting, however, so Nanny let it be. At least he was getting some fresh air outside.

Nanny loved all five of the Beifong children, she did. She loved Junior's curious, loyal nature; she loved Opal's sweetness and her self-determination and Wing's sunshine and giggles and yes, even Wei's mischief, which she knew he did because even at his age he craved attention more than all the rest of his siblings put together. And yes, she loved Huan, even though sometimes she despaired of ever being able to help him. Every once in awhile, she'd get a glimpse of those green eyes, hidden under that mop of hair that he could not bear to have cut, and she knew he was longing to connect. Oh, if only she could help him!

"Hey, Huan," Junior said. He'd come up behind her. "There's jook for you for snack. You like jook." He squatted down. "Do you want to come and sit next to me?" He glanced over at Nanny. "The twins are trying to throw food at each other."

"Mercy me!" Nanny cried, and started to push herself upwards. Junior jumped up and gave her a hand up, like the good little gentleman he was already learning to be. She left him to coax Huan to the table and hustled over to the twins, who were indeed gleefully grabbing at their jook and trying to throw it at each other. "Wei! Wing! Food is for eating, not for throwing!" She promptly removed their bowls, which set the two of them into noisy sobs, which of course meant that Huan wouldn't come anywhere near. Moving quickly, she wiped off their hands and the table, bestowing plenty of kisses and coaxing the both of them into better humor. Opal was eating her own jook, giggling whenever she caught Wei's eye as he leaned over in his chair to blow kisses at her, something he'd learned from one of his mother's guests. Delighted, Wei gurgled with laughter, using both hands to give her even more. Oh, give that boy an inch and he'd take a mile, he was a natural born performer! People claimed they couldn't tell the twins apart but that was just stuff and nonsense, as far as Nanny was concerned. They were quite different in personality when it came down to it, and she'd noticed already that Wei was grabbing things with his right hand while Wing seemed to be leading with his left. Although she would not put it past the little scamps to try and fool folks into thinking they were the other one once they were a little older. 

She had not said anything to Madame Beifong as of yet, but she intended to retire once the twins were old enough. She was going to be sixty-five this year, and running after these energetic boys brought it home to her that she couldn't keep up the way she once had. Her sister was living over in Omashu and had just recently been widowed; she was all alone in that house now and in her last letter she had asked Aditi if she might like to move in with her after she retired. Aditi thought she might. In fact, she was enthusiastic about the idea. Her sister had a lovely garden and lived in a charming neighborhood and her grandchildren were nearby as well. It would be nice, for a change, to simply enjoy a visit with children instead of having to care for them day in and day out. But that was a few years away. Nanny would never abandon her babies, not until she was sure they could do without her.

"Sit up straight, Opal my love," Nanny said, and chucked her under her chin affectionately. Junior pulled Huan's chair back for him and he sat down, staring down at the bowl of jook. "Ah, thank you, Junior. You're a very good big brother." At his grateful smile her heart sank a bit. Always so eager for approval, that boy. He worried her sometimes, he really did. "Look, Chef sent yours up with the mango chutney you like so much."

"Yeah, I love that stuff!" He sat down and took up his own spoon before glancing back at his brother. "But I can help with Huan first, if you need me to." 

"Nonsense dear, you eat up. You've been hard at work at school all day, you need your strength!"

"Junior, will you read my book?" Opal's mouth was full of jook.

"We speak when our mouths are empty, my love."

"Sure, Opie." Junior grinned at his sister. She had gotten a new picture book about a girl and an ostrich horse for her fourth birthday and she asked him to read it nearly every day. "Huan can listen too, if he wants to." Huan didn't respond, but Nanny knew that didn't mean anything. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if Huan settled in near them so he could enjoy the story as well. 

Wing chose that moment to let forth with an impressively noisy burst of wind; immediately Junior and Opal were overtaken with giggles and the twins began to giggle as well, pointing at each other and then back at their siblings. 

"Wing tooted!" Opal was nearly falling off of her chair with laughter.

"Open the windows, we're all gonna die," cried Junior, his glasses sliding down his nose. "Good one, Wing!" Wing clapped his hands, pleased with the response.

"Toot," whispered Huan, and he picked up his spoon. "Toot." He shot a quick glance at the twins and managed to put a bite of plain jook in his mouth.

"It was a huge old toot," Junior agreed, and then Wei leaned forward in his chair.

"Oot! Oot!" The twins crowed, kicking their legs and banging on the table with their spoons. This set off Junior and Opal even more.

Nanny had to cover her mouth for a moment while she composed herself. "Children. This is not proper behavior at the table. Wing is still a baby and doesn't know better, but it is not polite, remember." She cleared her throat. "That is quite enough laughter, thank you." She knew they wouldn't stop their laughter, but she had to try, of course. And anyhow, Huan had voluntarily taken a bite of his food, so she couldn't complain about the distraction. The poor child rarely ate and was skinny as a rail.

"What on earth is going on here?" Madame Beifong stood in the door, smiling, hands on her hips.

"Wing tooted, Mommy!" Opal immediately piped up before breaking into a fresh set of giggles.

"Ah, I see." She caught Nanny's eye and nodded. "Well, he's just a baby."

"That's what Nanny said." Junior jumped up from his chair and went to her. "Mommy, guess what?" He was nearly dancing in his excitement.

"Tell me," she replied, smoothing his hair down.

"I knew all the right answers today! Every single one of them!" He beamed up at her.

"Of course you did!" She kissed his forehead. "I would expect no different." She smiled as Opal came for a hug as well. "There's my girl!" Glancing at Huan, she raised an eyebrow at Nanny.

"He's been fine today. Ate some breakfast, although he wasn't much interested in lunch after his grandmother brought him back. He's eaten some of his snack, however."

"Toot," Huan whispered again. He slowly pushed his spoon through his jook.

"Mommy, can you play?" Opal was bouncing up and down.

"Oh sweetie, I wish I could, but I can't today. I have a meeting. I just came quickly to check in." Both Opal and Junior visibly deflated. "But! Daddy and I thought we could have a family trip this weekend. We thought we'd have a picnic and go to the lake by the big tunnel. Would you like that? We could go swimming and explore the caves a little."

"Picnic! Picnic!" Opal cried, running around in a circle, her arms thrown wide. "Oh boy, picnic!"

"Will Grandma come?" Junior was frowning.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. But we'll invite her. We don't want Grandma to feel left out, do we?" Junior didn't answer her, however, just scowled down at the floor. His mother kissed him again and made the rounds, kissing the twins and Opal but letting Huan be. Huan was not fond of physical affection. "Okay, I have to run or else I'll be late. You be good, okay? Daddy will be up in a little bit to take over from Nanny. I'll see you in the morning!" Out she went; Wei immediately burst into tears, which set Wing off as well. Nanny moved to comfort them, a hand to each.

"I don't want to go with Grandma," Junior muttered, kicking at the floor.  "Grandma's a poophead." Nanny chose to ignore that one.

Huan looked up. "Toot."

"Yeah, she's nice to you but she's not nice to me." Junior sighed. "But okay, never mind. Grandma can come to be your friend, okay Huan?"

"Your friend," Huan repeated. He often communicated this way; merely repeating what had been said before. Junior usually seemed to make some sense out of what he was trying to say, however. As did Nanny, of course. She listened to her boy. She understood.

"Yeah, it's okay. I know you like Grandma." Junior shrugged. "Come on, Opie, I'll read you your book."

"Do you have any homework, my love?" Nanny removed Wing's sticky hand from his curls and began to wipe it down.

"No, I did it all at school." Junior sat cross-legged on some cushions as Opal ran to fetch her book. He was a very patient boy, her Junior. Not many boys his age would read the same book over and over again to their little sister, but Junior was that kind of boy. Opal dropped it into his lap and settled down next to him as he opened it up.

"Once upon a time there was a girl named Changchang, and she lived-"

"That's Changchang," interrupted Opal, pointing at the book.

"Yep, sure is." He kept reading as the twins quieted down, letting Nanny wipe them down as their eyes widened, listening to the story. Huan slid out of his chair, creeping over to sit back on his heels next to Junior, his hands fluttering in the way that expressed contentment for him. Huan liked listening to stories. Nanny took Wing out of his chair and he staggered over to plop down in front of his brother, picking up a wooden block, contentedly gnawing at it. Wei joined him, picking up a different block and banging it nearly silently on the rug. The maid came and cleared away the remains of the snack and Nanny sat back down in her chair and took up her knitting. Junior finished the story, and Opal clapped.

"Again! Again!"

Junior rolled his eyes before grinning. "Okay, one more time. But then after that we can play something else, okay?"

"Okay," Opal agreed, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

"My friend," Huan said clearly, and then ever so slowly, put his head down on Junior's other shoulder. Junior froze for just a moment; his smile, when it came, transformed his face.

"I am your friend, Huan. I'm your best friend. Always." Junior smoothed out the page of the book, continuing to smile. "Once upon a time there was a girl named Changchang..."

Huan said nothing, but his mouth curled up just the tiniest bit. He left his head on his brother's shoulder.

Nanny nodded her approval and resumed her knitting.


	4. The Burden of Responsibility: Junior Babysits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junior babysits his siblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is for the Betareader.

"I don't know, Baatar...maybe we can call someone?" His mother was frowning, her arms crossed. She was all dressed up, with a comb in her hair. She smelled nice, too. "I'd ask Aiwei but he's probably already there."

Junior and Opal exchanged a look. No one liked it when Aiwei babysat. He was a real drag. The last time he'd done it he'd given them a long lecture about honesty being the best policy. Wing had fallen asleep in the middle of it. Lucky Wing.

"Susi, we're expected in twenty minutes. Who can we call at this point? Besides, Junior's thirteen now. I'm confident he can handle things for a few hours." His father smiled at him. "Right, Junior?"

"I can handle it, Dad." He stood up a little taller. "No problem."

"It will be okay, Mommy," said Opal. "We'll be really good. Won't we?" This was directed towards the twins.

"I'm always good," said Wei. Which was a big fat lie and Mom knew it too, because she was giving him a dirty look.

"Listen up. I want all of you to mind Junior, do you hear me? Junior is in charge. What he says, goes." Dad put his arm under Mom's elbow. "I'm looking at you, boys."

"Junior's in charge. Got it." Wing was nodding his head over and over again.

"Wei?" Dad had one eyebrow raised.

"Stinkbutt's in charge," Wei said, and snickered.

"Wei Beifong! So help me!" Mom had her hands on her hips now.

"I'm just joking!"  

"Huan? Sweetie? Is it okay with you if we leave you with Junior for a few hours?" Mom had craned her head to peer at Huan, who was sitting at the far end of the sofa, staring down at his hands.

"Okay," he mumbled. Mom started to walk towards him, but Dad caught her arm.

"Susi, we're going to be late. It will be fine." Dad took Mom's coat and held it out for her.

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Mom put her arms into her coat. "Junior, make sure the twins bathe, please. And maybe you can help Huan with his homework? I want all of you in bed by the time your father and I get home, do you hear me?" Mom settled her coat on and gave kisses; one to each twin, one to Opal, and one to him. She didn't give one to Huan. Huan didn't like that. "All right. Be good! I love you! See you in the morning!" Dad hustled her out the door; at the last moment he turned and pointed at the twins. 

"Behave, you two. I mean it." 

The door shut behind them. Junior crossed his arms. "So. Mom says you infants have to take a bath."

"What if I don't want to?" Wei crossed his own arms and glared at Junior. "You aren't the boss of me."

"Wrong. Tonight I am the boss of you. You have to do what I say. Mom and Dad said so."

"Or what?"

"Wei, quit it. Mommy said you have to take a bath. You heard her." Opal was standing with her hands on her hips, just like Mom.

"You always take his side!" Wei turned his beady-eyed glare at her. 

"I do not always take his side!"

"Uh huh," said Wing. "Do so."

"Well, it doesn't even matter who's on whose side because you little farts have to take a bath. So get to it." Junior pointed in the general direction of their bathroom.

"Come on, you guys can have a bubble bath if you want one. Right, Junior?"

"Yeah, I don't care."

Opal took Wing's hand and tugged at it a little. "Come on, you love bubble baths. We can use extra bubbles, okay?" Wing grinned at her.

"Can we make bubble hats? And bubble beards?"

"Yeah, but just don't eat them because the last time you did that you puked in the tub." Junior rolled his eyes.

"You mean Wing puked, not me." Wei was laughing, and pretending to puke all over the floor.

"Zip it, Wei!" Wing shoved him.

"You zip it!" Wei shoved back.

"Both of you zip it! Come on. If you go and take a bath and don't give me shit I'll give you some ice cream for dessert."

"Oooooh, Junior said the s word! I'm telling Mommy!" Wing was dancing around in a circle, pointing at him.

"Hey, whatever. More ice cream for me."

"Okay, we're going!" Wei ran out the room, Wing following along behind. Opal flicked one of her hands out. 

"Geez," she said. "They are such babies. I can go and help them, though."

Junior gave her a big squeeze. Opal was tops. "Thanks, Opie. If you do that I can help Huan with his homework."  He sat down next to his brother on the sofa. "So, can I help? What do you have tonight?"

Huan just gave a little shrug. He was still staring down at his hands.

"Is it math or something? I can explain it like I did last time. Let me help, okay?"

"Doesn't matter," he whispered. 

"Of course it does. Come on. Please let me help. I want to. Not because Mom asked me." Huan mumbled something he couldn't make out. "Can you say again? I didn't hear you."

He reached into his pocket and drew out a note. With a trembling hand he pushed it into Junior's lap. He frowned and smoothed it out before reading it.

DIE STUPID BEIFONG AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE 

Underneath the words was a crude drawing of Huan, lying in what was probably meant to be a pool of blood.

"Who gave this to you? Who?" His hand clenched around the paper, wrinkling it even further. Huan just shrugged. "You don't know or you don't want to tell me?" Huan glanced at him quickly, his eyes full of tears. He shrugged again and looked back down. "I want to help you," he said, and then Huan buried his face into his chest, his whole body trembling. Junior put his arms around him. "We should tell Mom and Dad," he said, but his brother shook his head violently. "But it's not right. Tell me who it was." Huan shook his head again and he sighed, holding on to him until he pulled back away, hugging himself and staring down at the floor. "You have to tell me."

Huan caught his eyes and then quickly looked away. "Last time they..." his hands started to flutter.

"I don't care. It doesn't matter. Better that they go after me than you."

He shook his head again. "No."

"I can't just ignore it, okay? I can't let them do it to you."

Huan's hand reached out to him and his fingers twisted into the fabric of his loose trousers. "Hurt you."

"It was only a couple of punches. It didn't even hurt. And they left you alone for awhile." It had hurt. A lot, actually. But it wasn't Huan's fault. And he meant what he said, too; better that they take swings at him. He could tell, though, by the closed-off look on Huan's face that there was no way he was going to give up the names tonight. He'd just have to get it out of him later, then, or figure it out on his own. "Look, we can talk about it later. How about right now you give me your homework and I'll do it for you." Huan gave him another quick glance and gave that same little shrug. "Come on. It'll take me five minutes, tops. What are brothers for? You want some ice cream?"

"Cold."

"Yeah, but we can take yours out and leave it out for awhile, let it warm up some. Would that be okay?"

His fingers tightened again in his trousers. "Okay."

Suddenly there was a shrill screech from the direction of the twins' room. Junior jumped up. "Now what did they do? I'll be right back." He ran for it, shoving his glasses up his nose.

"You are going to get into so much trouble!" Opal was standing outside the twins' shared bathroom, pointing inside. "Wait until Mommy sees this mess!"

He looked inside the bathroom and his mouth dropped open. There was water all over the floor and bubbles everywhere; on the floor, on the walls, even on the mirror. The twins were sitting inside the tub, covered everywhere with them, splashing each other and shouting gleefully. He stood there for a moment and then waded in, reaching for the nearest wet body. It was Wing; he hauled him out of the tub and pointed a finger at him. "You are so busted. Seriously. I'm going to kill you." He reached in again but Wei evaded him, laughing hysterically and sliding around the tub like a fish. He grunted and reached for him again, skidding on the wet floor and slamming a knee down. Wei only laughed harder; even Wing started giggling. Furious, he grabbed at Wei, finally managing to get him by the shoulders.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go!"

He yanked him out. "Look at this mess! What were you thinking?" He shook him and got into his face. "Who is going to clean this up? You did this on purpose! Just to get me in trouble!" Wei was staring at him, eyes wide; suddenly his face crumpled up and he started to bawl. "Quit crying! It's not like you care!" That only made him cry harder. He let go of his shoulders and shoved his glasses up his face. Stupid little infants. He stood up and rubbed at his knee. "Just get out of here. Go put on your pajamas. You better not ask me for any ice cream, either, because I'm not giving you any after this."

"I hate you! You're such a dummyhead, Junior!" Wei still had tears running down his cheeks, but he was pissed off, too. "You think you're better than everybody but you aren't even a bender!"

Opal gasped in the sudden silence. Wing's hands were covering his mouth. Junior stared down at Wei, who had taken a step back and was staring up at him, his face wavering between fear and defiance. "Yep. That's me. Yours truly. Not a bender." He turned his back and walked out of the bathroom. "I have to clean up this mess. Go get ready for bed."

"That was mean. Really mean," he heard Opal say as he made his way to the utility room. He gathered up a mop and bucket and some towels, carrying them back with him. By the time he got back to the bathroom it was empty. He yanked the plug out of the tub and started to mop up the mess. It always went like this. The twins got away with whatever they wanted to. He never got away with anything. He had to be perfect, all the time. Good grades at school. Greeting all of Mom's important guests. _Being a good example_ , like Dad always said. He couldn't make one single mistake without Dad telling him how disappointed he was, couldn't have any fun without Mom telling him that she expected more out of him. He didn't even ask to be in charge that evening; it wasn't his fault the sitter had cancelled at the last minute. It didn't even matter that his parents knew that the twins were troublemakers. Everything that went wrong would be on his head, for sure.

Once he'd gotten all the water and suds mopped up and everything returned to the utility room, he went looking for his siblings. He found them in the kitchen. They were all wearing their pajamas, even Huan. Opal had served them up some ice cream, but none of them were eating it yet. He sighed and snagged Huan's bowl, mashing and stirring it. It got warmer faster that way.

Wing slid down off his stool and padded over to him. "Sorry we made such a mess," he said in a small voice, and he reached out an arm and hugged him with it.

"Yeah, okay. Just eat your ice cream." He glanced over at Huan. "Leave your homework out and I'll do it for you." He handed over the bowl. "Is it warm enough or do you need me to do it more?"

"S'okay," Huan said, and took a bite, making the funny face he always did when he ate ice cream. He loved the taste of it, but he hated how cold it was. The rest of them started eating their ice cream as well. All of them but Wei, that is. He was just staring at his bowl, miserable. He sighed and walked over to him, resting his chin on the top of his still damp head.

"Come on. Eat your ice cream. It's mango. Your favorite. I'm not mad anymore." Which wasn't really true. He was still kind of pissed off at them, but if he didn't say anything then he knew Wei would cry all night about it. Sometimes he was a real asshole, but he was still just a little kid. He probably shouldn't have been so mean to him. Wei turned on his stool and wrapped his arms as far around his waist as they would go, hugging him hard. He knew this was his way of saying he was sorry, so he hugged him back. "Yeah, okay. You're okay." He tousled his hair and then sat down with his own ice cream.

"Will you read us some of our story?" Wing said, his mouth full of ice cream. Dad was reading them a book about Yaozhi, the great earthbender hero. He had liked that book too, once upon a time. Until he'd figured out that his bending wasn't just going to magically appear, that is. 

"Yeah. But only if you guys brush your teeth and don't be little jerks about it, okay?"

Both the twins nodded and Wei dug into his ice cream.

He ended up reading to all of them; Opal perched on Wing's bed and Huan sitting cross-legged on the floor. Wing fell asleep pretty quickly, like he usually did. Opal got into bed no problem; he figured she was going to do some reading under the covers like she usually did but she was good about turning off the flashlight and going to sleep eventually, so he wasn't worried about it. He sat in Huan's room and did his homework for him while he lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Huan's writing was really messy, so he always used his left hand to do it so his teachers wouldn't know. They might know anyhow, but they never said anything to their parents, so he guessed it didn't matter. When he was done he tucked his brother really tightly in, the way he liked to be, and said goodnight.

He brushed his own teeth and put on his pajamas. He wasn't sure when Mom and Dad were going to get home, but at least there weren't any obvious messes and everyone was in bed, so it wasn't a total disaster. He took his glasses off and lay down in bed, the lights off. He wouldn't care so much about hanging out with Huan and Opal, but the twins were a serious pain in his ass. With a sigh he rolled over. He was just starting to get sleepy when he heard his door open. He smiled just a little in the darkness and reached behind to hold his covers up.

"Come on, then." A patter of bare feet and then Wei slid into bed with him, snuggling up to his back. "Don't even try to steal my covers, infant. And keep your cold feet to yourself." 

Wei immediately pressed his icy feet onto his bare ankles and giggled.

"Jerk." He rolled over and gathered him in. "I love you, you know. Now go to sleep, loser."

With a happy little sigh, his little brother did just that. 


	5. A Botanical Exhibition: Huan Gets His Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lead in to an incident recalled by the Beifong siblings in Chapter 8 of [All The Wealth The Past Has Made: Or A Personal Account Of The Lunar New Year, 186.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9423905/chapters/21332510)
> 
> Prompt by request of squarehere.

He'd always liked the early morning.

Mostly because it was quiet and there wasn't anyone up and about bothering him, of course. But also because he liked the colors of the sunrise; golds and pinks and maybe some blue as well. Mornings made him think of beginnings, and he liked beginnings better than endings.

The twins liked to sneak out of their bedroom window but he didn't need to do that. He'd just walk wherever; no one ever stopped him. Most people avoided him anyhow. Like he was catching or something. It bothered him, but so what? It's not like him being bothered would matter. He'd try to explain it and the words would get caught in his mouth and when that happened people got angry with him. He didn't understand why but that never stopped it from happening. 

He was tired of being called stupid, though. He was tired of thinking that people were being friendly only to be told they weren't. Grandma Toph had taught him to tell when people were lying but guess what? When they were calling him stupid or broken or damaged or a waste of time they weren't lying. They meant it.

He walks along in his bare feet, in his sleeping trousers and the sweater that had belonged to Junior that Junior gave him when he got too big for it, it is soft and too big for him but he doesn't mind. He likes it that way. The earth is cool this morning, it is late spring and it will be his birthday in four days and he will be fourteen. He used to think that he would feel differently on his birthday since he was a year older but this was not the case. He always felt exactly the same. He tried to ask Mom about it but she didn't understand and thought he was asking if that day was really his birthday and she smiled at him and said, _That is your birthday, sweetie, I was there, after all,_  and that's not what he meant but it's too much trouble to explain it.

The tram stop at their compound was painted a few months ago. Dad keeps talking about remodeling it but he hasn't really paid attention as to why. Dad is always trying to fix something or the other. There is a very large flowerbed in front of it; there are magnolias and ylang-ylang and orchids and other flowers, bright colors, planted in a pleasing arrangement, all surrounding a raised Metal Clan disc, a sculpture that he didn't make. There are three gardeners that keep up the grounds for them. Everything is always very nice.

He doesn't really know anything about flowers; he likes looking at them okay, but they don't really interest him. It's easy, though, to go to his knees and put his hands into their roots, to gently move them where he needs them to go. He does not want to damage the flowers; they have done nothing to him and they have the right to live their short, flamboyant lives. He is careful as he shifts the flowerbed, even moving the sculpture to one side. This, this thing that he does, this taking the pictures in his head and making them come to life, this is the one thing that is easy for him. His bending helps him sometimes, but sometimes his hands just take over and he goes somewhere else, somewhere where it's quiet and calm, and when he comes back his hands have done it for him and that pleases him.

"You do know the King of Omashu is going to be here this morning, right?" Junior is standing behind him, gazing down at what he's done, smiling the way he does when he thinks something is really funny. 

"I know that." One last flower and it's done. He sits back on his haunches, peering at it, standing up to take a few steps back and look at it from a different angle.

Junior is laughing now, but quietly, putting a hand up to his mouth. "What did he ever do to you?"

"The last time he came he told Dad that they should put me away instead of leaving me out where anyone could see me."

The smile instantly goes away from Junior's face. "What?"

He doesn't repeat it; he doesn't like the words even if he is only repeating them. He shrugs instead.

"That motherfucking shit for brains," Junior says, and he has his angry look on his face. "So that's why Dad was telling Mom last night that you didn't need to be there to greet him!" Junior kicks at the grass. "Did you hear him say that?"

"I was sitting right there," he says, and that seems to make Junior angrier.

"Fucker."

He shrugs again. He's not going to argue. He also thinks the King of Omashu is a fucker.

"So that's why you did this?" Junior gestures towards the flowerbed, where all of the flowers and other plants have been rearranged into the shape of a large, erect penis. With testicles, even. He even did a little shading. Not that it needed it to get the point across, but Grandma Bhuti has impressed upon him the importance of shading in order to make objects stand out. He wants this to stand out as much as possible.

"Yeah."

Junior stares at it for a time and then he smiles. "Good. Good for you. I can't wait to see his face when he sees it." He grimaces a little. "Mom's going to lose it, though."

"Yeah."

"Still, though. Worth it."

"Yeah."

Junior shoves his glasses up his nose. "Mom sent me to look for you, we're supposed to get breakfast and then get dressed so we can meet the King here."

"I'm not going."

Junior shakes his head and grins at him again. "You have to come. Otherwise how will you know how he reacts to seeing this?"

He thinks on this for a moment. "Oh."

"Yep. Listen, come with us. You can stand next to me, okay? If it gets bad you can get behind me."

"Promise?"

"Of course I promise." 

"Are you going to tell Mom?"

Junior scowls at him. "I'm not going to snitch on you, come on, Huan. I wouldn't do that."  He laughs a little bit. "But she's going to know it was you, you know."

"Don't care," he said, and met Junior's eyes, the breeze pushing his hair away from his face for a moment. "I'm not an animal."

Junior comes and stands right in front of him. "No, you aren't. You aren't. You can't listen to people that say those things."

"I can still hear them," he said, and then he was crying, even though he didn't mean to and he wasn't even sure why he was doing it, the tears were just coming the way they did sometimes. Junior grabbed him and hugged him, hard and tight and close, the right way to do it. 

"Fuck all of them," he said into his ear. "I'll fight anybody who says anything bad about you." He kissed his cheek and then pulled him away. "Come on, bend the dirt off and let me sneak you back inside before Mom comes looking for the both of us."

 "Okay," he says, and Junior wipes at his eyes with his own pajama sleeves, and then they walk back to the house together, Junior close by his side.


	6. A Two-Fold Celebration: The Beifong Twins Turn Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wei and Wing turn fifteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is my own twins' fifteenth birthday. Written in their honor.

"Whoooo! Who is fifteen today? This gorgeous man is, that's who!" 

Su turned over and sighed, loudly, staring up at the ceiling. "I will murder that child."

Baatar stirred next to her in bed. "He takes after your side." Yawning, he reached for the alarm clock. "Well, at least he let us sleep until seven this year."

"Fifteen, footloose and fancy-free! That's right people, Wei's in town!" The shouting was moving down the hall. "Come on, family! Up and at 'em! There's a birthday to celebrate! We're gonna-" his voice was cut off with a loud crunching noise and a shriek. A silence; then, "Hey, what the fuck, Huan? That was uncalled for."

"Too loud, too early," came Huan's voice, and a door slammed shut.

"Ah, remind me to thank him later," Baatar said before stretching a little and sitting up, fumbling for his glasses. "Well, we may as well get up, he won't stop his noise until we do."

"I'll stop his noise," Su muttered as she swung herself out of bed, reaching for her robe. "Especially if he wakes up his sister. Where do you suppose Wing is?"

"Kitchen, getting an early start on breakfast, what do you want to bet?" Baatar tied on his own robe. "I'd nearly forgotten how much boys that age can eat."

"Mmmm." She gave her hair a cursory pat down and then let it be. Breakfast in the Beifong home was, and had always been, family only. She'd put her face on later. 

"Should we wake up Opal for breakfast? She came in so late last night." Baatar leaned down to kiss her.

"No, let her sleep, she looked so worn out. She'll be here for their birthday dinner tonight."  She smiled. "The boys will be surprised."

"Do we feed her beast, though?" He frowned. "I have zero idea what they eat."

Su raised up her hands to shrug. "Don't ask me. Tenzin used to take us around on Oogi but I have no idea what he actually fed him." She gave him a little push towards the door. "We'll ask Opal when she gets up. I'm sure he'll be fine until then." They walked out into the hall to find Wei buried up to his neck into the marble floor, struggling to get out.

"Mom, make Huan let me go." He turned his head towards Huan's bedroom door. "I know you're holding me here, asshole!"

Su sighed. "Huan..."

The floor flowed up and away, knocking Wei onto his ass, before smoothing itself down, showing no signs of disturbance. "Show-off," groused Wei, standing up and rubbing at his tailbone. 

"You're the asshole," came the voice from beyond the door.

"Frankly, you're both being assholes." Su's hands were firmly ensconced over her hips. "I swear, if you two wake up Opal..."

Huan's door opened. His hair was stuck up along one side, and he was wearing a pair of slightly too short pajama bottoms and a ratty sweater. "Is Opie here?" He slammed his foot to the ground and a small smile tugged at his mouth. "She is," he said, and brightened.

"She got in late last night and I want her to get some sleep, so the two of you quiet down right now, I mean it." 

"Come on, let's all just get some breakfast. Wei, is your brother in the kitchen?" At his nod Baatar put an arm around him. "You've only got yourself to blame if he eats everything, then." Wei's eyes widened and he turned and sprinted down the hall. 

Opal's door opened and she stumbled out, yawning. "Other homes are quiet in the morning, I bet."

"Opie," Huan said, ducking his head, smiling. She beamed at him and held her arms out, and he stepped into them, giving her a brief hug. "You're home."

"I am and I'm starving." She looked around. "Didn't I just hear Wei doing his annual shoutfest?"

"He's been banished to the kitchen," her father replied, and put an arm around her shoulders, smiling down at her. 

"Sweetie, what do we need to do about Juicy? Should we feed him?"

Opal shook her head as they started to make their way down the hall. "I fed him last night. He'll be okay for another couple of hours." She grinned at Huan. "You want a ride on him?"

Huan made a face. "I don't know."

"Opal!" Wing ran down the hall, balancing several rice balls in one hand. "You came!" He threw his arms around her.

"Happy birthday," she laughed, and hugged him tightly.

"You couldn't wait for the rest of us?" Su raised an eyebrow at the rice balls.

"Sorry, Mom. I was so hungry." All three balls were shoved into his mouth at once. "Ammgummmaguuh."

She flicked him gently on his head. "Since it's your birthday I'm going to pretend that never happened."

"Please somebody tell me there's tea," Opal said, and yawned again. "I need tea. So much tea. Tea for days. Tea forever."

"Chef made some," Wing said around the glutinous mass in his mouth and grinned as they all walked into the kitchen. Wei was sitting up on the counter, shoveling jook into his mouth. When he spied Opal he let out with a shout and launched himself into the air, bowl forgotten.

"Opie! Opie!" He grabbed her and swung her around in a circle as she laughed. "Did you come for our birthday?"

"No, I came all the way here to get my nails done," she said a little breathlessly. "Of course I came for your birthday, dummy!"

"Quit squeezing the life out of your sister and let's take a seat," Baatar said, walking through the double doors to the dining room. "I hope you boys left something for the rest of us."

"There's plenty," Wing said, plopping himself into his chair and grinning at the pile of presents stacked on the table in front of him. "Can we open these yet?" 

"Can the rest of us get some tea, maybe?" His mother replied, nodding her thanks when one of the servants materialized at her elbow with a steaming pot.

"Oh, go ahead," Baatar smiled. With a perfectly executed double whoop the twins snatched at the pile.

"At least see who they are from, first!" Su rolled her eyes, wrapping her fingers around her warm cup. "Savages."

The twins gleefully tore the paper off of their gifts; Wing was especially taken with the beautifully made copper stakes for his budding garden, each one etched with the name of a flower and a carefully crafted model of the bloom itself on the top. "If you need different ones I'll make them," Huan mumbled, eyes on the floor, but his smile showed his teeth when Wing threw his arms around him, thanking him profusely. Wei promptly blew several blasts on the hunting horn that Opal had brought back for him from a village far to the west of the Earth Kingdom, making everyone else wince and bringing their majordomo into the dining room, her normally impassive face twitching ever so slightly. 

There was a box on the bottom that was addressed to them both. They ripped it open to find five power discs inside; made of hardened steel, seamless and shining, perfectly weighted and balanced. The twins picked them up, exclaiming over them.

"These feel different, how come?" Wei spread his hands over one of them. "I can't figure it out."

"Platinum ball bearings," Huan said, staring out the window.

"Oh, yeah!" Wing hefted one up. "Yeah, okay! That makes sense! We can't accidentally bend them out of shape like we do with the ones we have now! That's super smart, Huan, how did you come up with that?"

"So unbelievably awesome," Wei said, standing up and starting to toss one into the air.

"Don't you even think about it!"

"Aw, Mom!"

"You boys can take those outside." Baatar gave them a look. "Not in the dining room, you know better."

"Seriously, Huan, these are so cool." Wing gave one an experimental spin with his bending, quickly looking to see if his parents noticed. Su raised an eyebrow and the spinning immediately stopped.

Huan mumbled.

"Huh?" Wei leaned closer. "Say again?"

"Didn't make them," Huan said, sliding lower into his seat.

Wei frowned, nose scrunching up as he thought it through. "Well, if you didn't, then who did?"

"Oh," Opal said, and she glanced over at her parents. Su had one hand to her lips, her eyes suddenly glossy with tears. "Oh."

"Junior made these, didn't he?" Wing stared down at the one in his hands. "No, of course it was him."

Wei shoved his off the edge of the table, jumping up out of his chair as it crashed to the floor. "I don't want them. I don't fucking want them." He ran his arm over his eyes. "Fucking Junior. I don't want anything from him!"

"Wei," Su started, reaching a hand out for him, but he cut her off. 

"He ruins everything! Even our birthday! I hate him so much! I'm glad he's gone!" Wei stumbled over his chair as he ran from the room. The rest of them sat there, silent, avoiding eye contact. Finally Baatar sighed.

"Well, that could have gone better. Let me go and talk to him."

"He's out by the fountain," Su said, her head in her hands. Baatar kissed her cheek and then stood up, righting Wei's discarded chair before walking out the double doors. 

"Sorry," Huan whispered. Su glanced over at him.

"Was this the package that came for you last week?"

He nodded, staring down at the floor, his fingers starting to flutter.

"It's okay, Huan, I'm not mad." Wing swallowed. "It's just...it's nice he remembered our birthday." His eyes started to fill up as well. "I wish he could have come home." He glanced quickly at his mother and then away. Su stood up.

"Well. We should clean up all of this paper, then." She faltered for a moment and then put a hand on Wing's shoulder. "Maybe we can get dressed and I can come out with you to the court, knock the disc around for awhile, hmm?"

Wing brightened. "Really?"

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his head. "Really. Let's see how they fly, how about it?"

"Yeah, okay! Okay, Mom!"

"Come on, then. You ready to get that fifteen year old butt of yours wiped all over the court?" She pulled him up out of the seat, walking him out. "Because I can do it, you know."

"I don't know, Mom. Aren't you a little old for that?"

"Oh, is that how it is? Prepare to eat those words, mister!" At Wing's grin she put her arm around him, the doors opening and closing behind them with her bending.

Opal slid over a few seats to sit next to Huan. "It's not your fault. You were just trying to be nice."

"Home," he whispered, miserable.

"Yeah, I know. I wish he would, too. Stupid Kuvira."

He slowly rested his forehead against her shoulder. "Yeah." The disc on the floor started to wobble, raising itself into the air. Opal reached out and drew it close, letting it land on the table in front of them. Huan reached a finger out and touched it before drawing his finger back, clutching his hands to his chest. "He still loves us, Huan. I'm sure he does. I know he does."

"Home," he repeated, and the disc started to spin furiously.


	7. A Sensual Idyll: A Night In The Cottage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during Nuo's first visit to Zaofu in Chapter Four of [Ten Years After The Fall.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3699647/chapters/8593576)
> 
> A lost game of power disc leads to a night together. 
> 
> Cut because it brought the story to a screeching halt but put back here because I really enjoyed writing it!

In the next few days Wing took Nuo all over Zaofu. The city's famous lotus petals were still under repair but otherwise there were no longer any signs of Kuvira's occupation. He showed her his old school, introduced her to practically everyone they met, pointed out interesting landmarks. She asked him about the huge power disc area that was still at the Beifong compound and he tracked down Wei and asked him to play a pickup game. Wei seemed so genuinely happy to be asked that Wing felt bad. He'd been neglecting Wei lately, for sure. By the time they got down to the playing field there was a bit of a crowd watching them. Both Mom and Dad were there, Wu was sitting with Huan, Yumi and Nuo and even Chef and scattering of other people had shown up.

Mom quickly went over the basics of the rules for Nuo while Wei and Wing warmed up and then they started. Damn, but Wing was out of shape; he still trained, of course, but not like Wei had been doing. Wei was going to wipe the ground with him. The disc flew hard and fast, ricocheting off the center columns and sending off sparks. Wei scored first and Wing could hear cheering while he cursed at his brother amicably. Wei put his hand to his face dramatically and gasped in mock dismay at Wing's trashmouth and he had to laugh. They went back into it, disc humming as it slammed around the playing field. Wei nearly scored but Wing managed to kick the disc away at the very last second. Back and forth the disc volleyed, metal ringing.

Wing saw a flash of an opening and took advantage of it, sending the disc into Wei's unprotected net.

"Lucky shot," shouted Wei, throwing his hands into the air.

"Bring it," taunted Wing, grinning.

Back and forth they went, Wei holding back so as not to annihilate Wing in front of his girlfriend (thank you, Wei), until Mom blew the whistle. "Drink some water and take a breather," she called.

"MOOOOOOM," they whined simultaneously, never mind the fact that they were both technically adults. They jogged up to the bleachers where everyone was sitting to take the water Mom was waving at them. Wing drank deeply and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. 

"Here," said Nuo, untying a decorative floral sash from her robe and tying it twice around his forehead. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. "Kick his ass," she said primly, and Wing kissed her back, leaping several meters from the bleachers back down into the playing field, laughing exuberantly.

"Nice headband," Wei said, grinning, disc held in his hands.

"Isn't it, though?" Wing said, and sent the disc flying. Wei ended up winning the game but Wing found he didn't even care when he saw how Nuo's great dark eyes were shining. He sat down next to her on the bleachers to drink some more water and she ran a hand slowly across the coiled bare muscle of his arm.

"I lost," he said, with a rueful grin.

She looked up at him and smiled, very slowly, leaning closer. "Get me somewhere private and you'll win, I promise." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him, not even saying goodbye to everyone else still congratulating Wei on his win.

Huan's atelier was private enough to pull her into his lap and kiss her until they were both breathless. It was only because he couldn't bear the thought of going any further with her outside instead of inside with a bed that he finally put her down and told her, taking deep breaths, that he needed to go and get cleaned up. Nuo was flushed and her eyes were narrowed. She looked like she was hungry and Wing was a big slab of poppy seed cake.

"You do that," she said and brushed a hand across his nipple, making him lurch. "I'll see you at dinner." She walked out without looking back.

He took a long shower to clean up. It was not a hot shower.

He wasn't sure how he made it through dinner but he did. He made it through dessert. He made it through Mom showing Nuo an entire album full of embarrassing photos from his childhood (was it really necessary to show her the snapshot of he and Wei happily making sock puppets out of their three-year-old penises? Was it  _really_?). He made it through the nice drive in the jeep through the countryside around the city while his parents gave the grand tour. He made it through a polite goodnight in front of Wu and Yumi and everyone as Nuo headed out to their guest house for bed.

He walked into the bedroom he shared with Wei and threw himself onto his bed. Wei came out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth, shaking his head, foam flying from his lips.

"Sad," he opined, and Wing threw a pillow at him. Wei snickered and went back into the bathroom. Wing was strongly debating whether or not he should fetch his pillow off of the floor or just lay there with his neck in unsupported misery when there was a rattle at the window. He hopped up to look out of it as Wei came back from the bathroom.

It was Nuo, fists on her hips. When she saw him move aside the curtain and look out she raised one eyebrow and motioned to him to come out. Wei stuck his head around the curtain on the other side of the window and cheerfully waved at her. She rolled her eyes and waved back.

Wei pulled his head back into the room. "Grandma's guest cottage."

"What?" Wing looked back at him.

"Grandma's guest cottage. It's empty, it's on the far side of the compound, you know how pissed off Grandma used to get if anyone bothered her. No one over here will hear anything or see any of the lights as long as you keep the curtains closed. No one ever goes over there anyhow. It's unlocked and Mom keeps the bed made. There are clean sheets in the hall closet, you can just make the bed in the morning and bring the other sheets back here to be washed and replace them later, no one will ever know the difference."

Wing stared at him.

Wei shrugged and looked as innocent as he was able. "What?" He swung the window open and unhooked the screen. "Hey, Nuo," he whispered.

"This isn't awkward or anything," Nuo whispered back, glaring.

"Oh, for the love of Raava!" hissed Wing, and climbed out the window.

"You two adorable kids have fun now," whispered Wei, and he grinned when Nuo shot him a sign with her fingers that she most certainly did not learn at the very exclusive Black Jade Academy for Young Ladies. He latched the screen and shut the window behind him.

"Come on," Wing whispered, and he took her hand and led her across the compound to Grandma's cottage, tucked behind some trees past Huan's atelier. Wei was right, it was unlocked and the bed was made. It wasn't that he really had to sneak around; his parents certainly wouldn't care and they were both adults, after all. But Wing just didn't want everyone in their business.

He turned and looked at Nuo - really looked at her - for the first time. She was wearing some sort of robe in a pale blue that tied around her waist but still clung in very distracting places. Her hair was down and loosely braided and he wanted nothing more than to plunge his hands into the mass of it. He could feel the shyness coming on and he cursed himself soundly. If he was Wei they'd already have their clothes off and Raava knows what else.

"So," said Nuo.

"So," he said, and felt his cheeks heating up. Damn it anyhow. "Um. We don't have to...uh..." He gestured around. "I mean, if you just wanted to talk or something..."

Nuo looked at him, saying nothing. Then, very deliberately, she untied the sash to her robe and slipped it off. Underneath she was wearing a matching gown which left very little to the imagination. Wing's mouth went so dry that his throat made an audible click when he tried to swallow.

"Neither one of us has done this before," said Nuo. For one moment Wing wondered wildly how she had known that but then realized that of  _course_  she knew. She was Nuo. She knew everything.

"Uh..." he replied.

"We could stand here and you could try to figure out what to say and I could get nervous and worry that I will do something wrong but we'd be wasting a lot of time if we did that." Nuo did something he couldn't quite catch with her shoulders and arms and suddenly her gown was sliding down her body to puddle onto the floor. She stood there in front of him, nude. She was breathtaking and by that he meant that he was breathless with the wonder of her, her full breasts tipped with rosy aureolas, the very generous flare of her hips and belly and his hand moved of its own volition to curl around her hip, making her hitch in her own breath. "Your turn," she said, and he immediately obliged, shoving down and kicking away his sleeping trousers and sending his top along with it.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at him. "Take me to the bed, please," she said and he took her hands and led her into the bedroom.

He had always figured that his first time would be something clumsy, rushed, a little bit embarrassing, really, especially given his prior interactions with girls he'd found attractive. This was Nuo, though, and she was utterly unashamed of how much she wanted him, which drove away his own natural shyness. He kissed her, followed her lead, asked her what she liked, took her direction exactly. Things were definitely too rushed the first time; he was disappointed in himself and tried to apologize to Nuo but she just giggled and said, "Practice makes perfect." It made everything okay again. Nuo always made everything okay. In any case, he found that with a short recovery time he could keep on practicing, and that was good too. And when he slid his hand down there, down to where her legs met and found what he was searching for he circled it with the pad of his thumb until she arched up her back and cried out, fingernails digging into his back and he sent a quick thank you skyward to Yumi, he did. 

 

He woke up at dawn, flat on his back, to find her perched atop his stomach, sitting there and looking down at him, her hair loose and spilling all over his hips and groin. (Which was very much awake as well, thank you kindly.) As far as he was concerned, he could wake up that way every single morning for the rest of his life. "So," she said, and dimpled at him.

"So," he replied. He smiled, and ran his hands lightly across the silky softness of her luscious thighs. Spirits, he loved how voluptuous she was.

"I'm thinking, we want a big family, right? I mean, you have lots of siblings and so do I - and believe it or not I actually missed my idiot brothers all those years when I was away at school. We probably shouldn't wait too long to start our family, though. We're both still young yet but even still, don't want to wait too long. Not now, of course, but after His Majesty abdicates."

He started to laugh, which made her bounce and jiggle in a most enticing way. "Nuo, we're not even married. I mean, aren't we getting ahead of ourselves?"

Nuo dismissed that with a quick flip of her hand. "Oh well, we can plan all of that later, I'm sure your mother would be happy to help. We'll do it here, of course, maybe in the spring. When all the flowers are blooming."

He continued to grin. "Here you are, planning our wedding and you haven't even told me you loved me."

Nuo stared down at him and then she leaned over, cupping her hands around his face, her breasts pressing against his chest. "I've loved you ever since you looked up at me at the coronation with that silly smear of jam on your lip."

He blinked. "But you didn't even know me then!"

She smiled, dimples appearing. "I knew everything I needed to know. Do you want me to pretend I don't know exactly what I want while we go out on dates for a few years just for the sake of polite convention or someone else's standards of what is right or wrong? Should I pretend that I don't know that you are the only man I could ever want? Or that I don't lay awake at night thinking of how it will feel to be pregnant with your child? Or grow old with you? I don't see the point in all of that. I love you. I want to marry you and live here with you and have your babies and be a part of this community. When I know what I want then I don't see the point of pretending otherwise."

He traced the tips of his fingers across her breasts. "I wish I had your confidence, Nuo." He sighed, which moved her up and back down with his breath, which was a little distracting, truth be told. "I don't mean I don't want to get married! Oh, I don't know. I guess I feel like I should know more about you, which is silly."

"What do you want to know? You can ask me anything." She kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

He resisted the urge to flip her onto her back and tried to think of a question. "Um. Well. Okay, for one, I don't even know how it was that you ended up going to that school that you did."

She sat up and leaned back a little, thinking, and he obligingly lifted up his knees from the bed so she could rest back against his thighs. She was silent for a minute or two, her eyes unfocused. She stared down at her hands when she began to speak. "You know, of course, that my family is from the Lower Ring. Or what used to be the Lower Ring, anyhow. My mother, she worked as a laundress in several Upper Ring homes and my father, he still works as a carpenter. I have five older brothers and all of them work as carpenters as well. When I was small we all lived in a two bedroom flat with my mother's parents. Life is not very good for most people from the Lower Ring, Wing. Lots of poverty. Lots of want. In any case, my mother, she used to take me with her when she'd go to work sometimes and one of the houses where my mother worked had a very large library. I'd sneak in there while my mother was washing, hide away in a window seat there in the library. There were some children's books there and I taught myself to read that way. No one else in my family ever learned, you know. They are all still illiterate. In any case, long story short, one day when I was six years old I was caught in the library by the lady of the house. Naturally she wanted to know who the little urchin in her library was; she was furious with my mother for bringing me and not keeping me away where the dirty urchins were supposed to be kept, which was most certainly _not_ in her very well-appointed library. Things would have gone very badly, I think, except that she had staying with her a house guest from Republic City. This woman was impressed by the fact that I had taught myself to read and write; she declared that I should be educated and she was willing to pay for it so long as I did well in my studies. That's how I was enrolled in the Black Jade Academy for Young Ladies. Middle Ring, you understand - well, it wouldn't do to put me too high above my station - but even so, it was a very exclusive school. Very well regarded. I was enrolled as a boarding pupil, I only went home during holidays. Well, you know how big Ba Sing Se is, the commute would have been impossible on a daily basis. My patroness made sure I always had proper uniforms as well as school supplies and gave me a small allowance so that I could get those few small things a girl might need away at school. I never knew her, though. I only saw her very briefly when I was six and she did not wish to be identified. To this day I don't know her name or anything else about her."

Wing lay there quietly, listening. He knew better than to interrupt.

"I received a very good education indeed. I have always been very grateful for it. The other girls...well. They were not very kind to me. I was mocked for my accent; I was tormented for my size. Too short; too fat. Girls can be cruel in ways that I think boys can't even comprehend. I was very unhappy indeed, but I didn't dare say anything. Even at six I knew it was my only chance to escape the kind of poverty my parents lived in. So I decided to excel at my studies. I did, too. I was first in all of my classes short of art and music and I graduated valedictorian of my class. Everyone praised me for my intelligence and even the girls who had tormented me left me alone eventually. I graduated and I had no idea what to do next. None! The girls I had gone to school with were, for the most part, either getting married or going into genteel sorts of careers, but I certainly didn't know anyone to marry and those sorts of polite and genteel careers that most of those girls went into did not appeal to me at all. I had no money, though, so I moved back to my parents' house. It was hell, quite frankly. Everyone back there mocked my upper class accent, sneered at me for getting above myself. The girlfriend of one of my brothers jumped me and tried to cut off my hair; if my youngest brother hadn't interfered I'd most likely have been shaved bald and probably beaten along with it. Thankfully my uncle stepped in and got me the job with His Majesty. I'm not sure what else I would have done without it. I was feeling quite desperate at the time."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry it was so hard for you." He wanted to take her into his arms but she wasn't finished speaking yet and so he waited. She tilted her chin up and her hands clenched into fists.

"I am very proud of what I have accomplished. None of it was easy. I had to fight for respect. I have used my intelligence to get me out of the life that I would have had, working as a laundress most likely, just like my mother and her mother before her. I know I am capable; I have made myself capable. I have made myself useful and indispensable. His Majesty has already told me that when he officially abdicates he hopes that I will join him in Republic City and stay on as his secretary. I know that if I continue down this path that my possibilities are endless. I do not need to be told any of these things. I know them to be true. I have _made_ them true. His Majesty respects me; even the Grand Secretariat respects me."

She looked Wing straight in the eyes. "Do you know why you are different than everyone else? Do you?"

He shook his head. He had no idea.

"You looked at me like I was beautiful."

He stared back at her, astonished. "But you  _are_  beautiful. Oh! I mean, obviously you are very smart and capable as well, I don't mean-"

She cut him off with a sharp gesture. "I told you, I know all of that about myself. Everyone else knows this about me as well, including you. But you, you looked at me like I was beautiful. No one ever looks at me that way. It didn't matter that you stumbled over your words and told me my eyes looked like dirt. Your mouth said that; but your eyes told me I was beautiful." Her own eyes filled up. "I shouldn't care, you know. I am independent, intelligent, resourceful, capable, respectable, clever. I am going places! I am the King's right hand! Beauty doesn't matter! It is very shallow and vain of me to even care."

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," said Wing and he sat up swiftly, wrapping his arms around her. "Nuo, I've never known anyone as beautiful as you are. I love you," he said and his eyes filled up with tears, the way they always did when he felt too much. "I really really do. I do want to marry you, too, it's just I was kind of hoping that I could do a romantic proposal or something."

"Oh well damn it all anyhow," she said, and wiped at her eyes. "I always do this, you know. Jump in ahead of everyone else and make all the plans and decisions for everyone." She sniffled. "I'm kind of pushy."

He laughed and grabbed the sheet and wiped at his own eyes before dabbing at hers. "Well, as a proper Beifong boy I'm kind of attracted to pushy women. I don't know what to tell you. Blame my father, he started it. I mean, have you _met_ my mother?"

That got a small giggle out of her. "Well, I may be pushy but I have no plans to subjugate the Earth Kingdom in the near future, so there's that."

"My family will be relieved to hear it."

"I hope at least your parents will like me," she said, and she frowned a little uncertainly. He understood what it cost her to let him see her so vulnerable and it meant a great deal to him. He smiled at her.

"Listen. Huan adores you - you know it's true, and Huan doesn't give friendship easily - and Wei likes you too, he told me so. My father likes you already and the more he knows you the more he will like you, I know him and I know he will. As far as my mother goes...well. Mom is Mom, and she's pretty protective of all of us."

Nuo nodded. "I can understand that sentiment."

"The best way to handle Mom is to just be upfront with her. She doesn't like it when people try to fool her or go behind her back."

"I think I can handle that."

He kissed her eyelids, tenderly. "I know you can. I have all faith in you." He did, too. He loved her. He did. 

"Wing?" she whispered into his ear.

"Yes?" he said, and then hitched in a quick breath as she started to push him back down to the bed.

"What does a proper Beifong boy do when a pushy woman demands that he stop talking and take care of her needs?" She ran her small hand behind her and gave him a very impertinent little tug.

"He does exactly as he's told," he replied, and wrapping his arms around her, he did just that.


	8. A Defining Moment: Nuo Discusses Her Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archived from a Tumblr prompt. Nuo approaches Su Beifong during her first visit to Zaofu.

Su had just picked up her letter opener - a more than slightly lumpy silver thing, a Mother’s Day gift from Wei, many years back now - and was about to see what on earth the Governor of Chongzhi wanted now when a knock at the door interrupted her. A firm, no-nonsense rapping; exactly three sharp taps.

“Come in,” she called, and wasn’t surprised at all when Wu’s secretary strode in, her heels muffled in the plush carpet. “Ah. Miss Nuo. What can I help you with?”

She was a diminutive woman; she wore heels to compensate, obviously, but even with the extra height no one could call her anything but short. Plump, too, although that was a polite way of putting it. Wing was known to go tongue-tied around girls who had what could be termed a full-figure; this girl had all that and more. Pretty, too. She clearly cared for her immaculate skin, and her black eyes and soft rosebud mouth were surprisingly delicate for a girl with her background. With her background! For fuck’s sake, what a damned snob she was. She was one to talk for a woman who had no idea who her father was.

“I was wondering if I might have a word with you, Madame Beifong.” Correct. Very, very correct. Perfect accent, perfect posture, calm and composed. Her robes were feminine but not fussy; traditional enough for the palace in Ba Sing Se but not out of date. Looked to be good quality, too. Her jewelry was tasteful and unexceptional. Her hair was a little showy; she’d forgone the shorter cut preferred by many modern women and had it done up on her head in an old-fashioned style, complete with combs and pins. It suited her, though.

This was a woman who cared, very deeply, about the impression she was making.

“Of course. Please, take a seat.” She stood up from behind her desk and gestured at one of the sofas, waiting for her to sit down before putting her finger to the button for her intercom. “I was just thinking of sending for some tea, would you care for some?”

“Yes, thank you.” Ankles crossed, hands demurely in her lap. Whatever deportment lessons they’d given at the school that Wu told her she’d been educated in, this girl had taken them all to heart. Even her grandmother would have approved, and Poppy Beifong had been an unmitigated snob.

She pressed the buzzer and told her secretary to bring tea for two; she settled herself near to her on the sofa and made pleasant small talk until the tray had been delivered, the tea infused with spices the way Baatar had always preferred and she had grown to love. She handed her a cup and watched as her eyes widened just a fraction with her first sip; then she nodded.

“This is my first time tasting spiced tea.”

“And…?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Delicious.” Another polite swallow. She ignored the plate of delicacies on the tray. “Madame Beifong, I know you are a busy woman. Therefore I think it best if I come to the point of my visit.”

Wu wasn’t kidding when he said she was direct! She fought back a smile. “Well, I appreciate that.” Which was true, of course. She was a busy woman, in fact, and she always had appreciated directness.

Nuo nodded again, a determined tip of her chin before bringing it right back up. “I won’t trifle with your intelligence by asking you if you know that your son and I are in a relationship. I assume you know this.” Those dark eyes skewered right through her.

“I do, yes.” She wasn’t sure whether she was amused or impressed with her laying it out as blatantly as she had. Probably both.

“I also assume that you may have some misgivings over it.”

Her eyebrow crept up of its own accord. “And why would that be?”

She placed her tea cup back on the tray. “I am not, by any stretch of the means, the kind of woman any noble woman would want her son associated with. I also assume you’ve made yourself cognizant of my background?”

She was making a lot of assumptions. That they were all correct assumptions nettled her more than she wanted to admit. The last thing she wanted to be was predictable, never mind predictable by someone she’d been told was a nineteen year old from the Lower Ring. Still, though. She had to give her points for not playing coy. “I have.”

Nuo’s nod this time was one of acknowledgement. “I know I certainly would if it were one of my sons. Especially considering your oldest son’s former relationship.”

It took everything in her not to reel back. Raava’s sweet tits but this girl had some damn nerve! “I beg your pardon?”

“Madame Beifong, I see no reason to be vague. We could dance around the elephant mandrill in the room but, as I said, you are a busy woman and I am not, perhaps, all that proficient at that kind of disassembling.” A flash of dimples came and went with her quick smile. “In fact, I have it on the very best authority that I am not very good at it at all.”

She sat back and gazed at her. “Well, at least you’re upfront about it, I’ll give you that.”

“I am an ambitious woman. I want to make something of myself. I am appreciative of all that I have been given in my life. That being said, I have also made the best of what I was given in order to move forward.” One hand smoothed the fabric across her knee, the first nervous movement she’d seen her make. “In other words, I have no desire to snag myself a rich, noble husband and spend the rest of my life providing him with heirs while I host tea parties.” The quirk of her mouth was wry, and very human. “Unlike the rest of the girls I went to school with.”

She couldn’t stop a snort from escaping. She knew exactly the kind of woman she was talking about. The kind of woman her grandmother had hoped her daughter and then her granddaughters would become. Disappointments, all three of them. “I can understand that.”

“I thought you would.” She took a deep breath. “I am not genteel. I have been educated within an inch of my life, however. I am intelligent and resourceful, and I am not afraid of hard work. These are things your son finds valuable in me.”

She smiled. “I hope so. I’ve raised all of my children to appreciate these qualities in others as well as themselves.”

“I am ambitious, as I said. However, my ambition does not extend to taking control. I am, as they say, a behind the scenes kind of woman. I know myself well enough to know that I am far better suited at support than I am at leading.”

She wasn’t actually so sure about that. This girl - woman, she corrected herself, this woman - would most likely make a very good leader. She might not see herself that way yet, but the potential was all there. Wing was known for his good nature; he was easy-going and generous, kind and charming, the kind of boy that everyone liked. She was also sure, knowing her son as well as she did, that he saw this Nuo’s ambition as appealing. He’d be happy to let her take the lead. The real question was, of course, what she’d do with that type of advantage.

“Since we are being blunt, I’ll ask you a question then. Do you think my son is someone you can lead around by the nose?”

Nuo’s eyebrows slowly curved upwards. “I think anyone who thought that about Wing would not know him in the slightest.”

“And why is that?”

“Your son, Madame, has a streak of stubborness in him as deep as the Great Divide. He’s very easy to get along with, true. But when he sets his mind to something then there is no getting around it.” The elusive dimples showed themselves again. “As I have found out first hand.” Her eyes crinkled up appealingly. “As does Huan as well. I wouldn’t like to be the one who tried to get him to do anything he didn’t want to.”

She laughed then. “Huan is the most single-minded person I have ever met in my life. And I’ve met a lot of people.”

Her smile in return showed off the dimples and made her look like the child she nearly was. Or should have been. “Intractable is the word I think I’m looking for.”

“Recalcitrant?”

“That too.”

“He wrote to me, you know. About you, I mean.”

“Huan?” This clearly surprised her.

“Of course. Wing’s not much of a writer.” She rolled her eyes. “And getting Wei to sit down with a pen and paper is nigh on impossible.”

“I didn’t realize.”

She leaned towards her. “Huan thinks very highly of you. His father and I take his opinions very seriously. Huan is…well, he’s Huan, but he’s rarely wrong when it comes to people.”

“I see.” Her expression was difficult to read, but she thought she might have been pleased. “Madame Beifong-”

“Su.”

“I…I don’t…”

She held up a hand. “Please just Su. It’s what I prefer.” She smiled at her. “I know you can’t call Wu by his name, but I hope you can manage it for me.”

“Su, then.” They nodded at each other. “Su, I know about your oldest son. And about Kuvira, of course. And I came here today because I wanted to assure you that I am nothing like her.”

“I know you aren’t.”

“I…you do?” She had caught her off guard, then; Nuo seemed at a loss for words.

“I do.” She crossed her legs. Her grandmother would have fainted dead away at the very idea, but her grandmother, bless her memory, wasn’t with them any longer. “Listen, Nuo. I respect ambition.” She gestured around herself. “What do you think built this city? This legacy? Ambition in itself isn’t a bad thing. Kuvira was ambitious, and I nurtured it. I liked what I saw in her, as both a woman and a bender, and I hoped to see her go far.” She sighed. “If I’m honest with you, my daughter was a bit of a disappointment on that level.” She held up her hand. “I love my daughter, and I appreciate the choices she’s made in her life. But ambition is not one of her defining qualities. And because of that, I poured a lot of my own hopes into Kuvira.”

“Her betrayal must have been very hard.” Her voice was soft.

“Her betrayal was difficult on many levels, for many people. I carry that.”

“Madame - Su - she made her own choices. The fact that she’s never done anything but made excuses for herself is on her, not you.” Nuo leaned forward. “What happens to us as children is not our fault. It is, however, our problem. I believe this, more than I believe most things. I can’t change where I was born or how I was treated when I was at school. Those things were not my fault. But if I choose to let myself grow bitter over it, if I choose to let those experiences shape and define my life, then it is most certainly my problem.” She shook her head. “Kuvira used her childhood as an excuse for doing exactly what she wanted.” Her look was fierce. “I am not so weak as that. I don’t need excuses for what I choose to do in my life. I choose it. If I choose poorly, then that’s for me to own and deal with. If I choose well, then I can appreciate what I have accomplished.”

Now she was starting to see what Wing saw in this girl, past her pretty looks. She was intelligent, yes; passionate, too. Ambitious, but with an understanding of her own drive and vision that people even five times her age rarely had, in her experience. Her bluntness and honesty wouldn’t throw Wing off; he’d always appreciated that about people, just like Opal. She might want to tear her hair out over Bolin at times, but he was honest, at least. This girl had the tact that Bolin was sorely missing, however. Thankfully.

They gazed at each other a moment more, Nuo unflinching, that proud chin held high. “So. I’d like your opinion on something.”

“If I can be helpful, of course.” Her tone implied that she would be.

“First, take one of the cardamom-mango pastries my chef makes. If I know Wu, he’s probably eaten at least twenty of them today alone.” She offered the plate.

That got her a smile, dimples and all. Oh, those dimples were appealing. She’d lay down her last yuan that Wing was crazy about the dimples. “Well, I do hope so. His Majesty doesn’t eat nearly enough.” She took one of the pastries and took an obedient bite. “Oh, these are marvelous!”

“Yes, they really are. So. Onto my issue. The Governor of Chongzhi has been writing to me. You know him?”

Nuo quickly swallowed. “I know of him. His sister is one of His Majesty’s advisors.”

“That sounds about right, the Chongzhi family likes to have a finger in every dumpling.” She snorted. “And they want in mine, apparently. He gets pushier with every letter, hoping we can meet, that sort of thing. He’s very vague about what he actually wants, however.”

Nuo pursed her lips, thinking, absently patting at her lips with a napkin. “Hmmm. Of course it makes sense that the various governors and such are trying to consolidate support, since many of them have gotten where they are due to inheritance and nepotism as opposed to a vote. You should hear them in their meetings at the palace, sweating it out at the very idea of democracy.” That got a refined little huff out of her.  “I’m not sure what he’d want with Zaofu, however. It’s not particularly strategic, location-wise. You don’t have any ports and your main exports are from the Beifong mines, more than half of which are located in other provinces.” She tapped at her chin. “Zaofu is known for its devotion to the arts but I hardly think the Governor of Chongzhi is interested in that. There have also been some scientific and technological innovations here, but nothing compared to Republic City.” Seemingly without realizing it, she gracefully rose to her feet, brow furrowed, starting to pace the length of the sofas. “The mines, though.” She trailed off as she thought, and Su watched her as she started to connect it in her head. She whipped around suddenly and snapped her fingers. “Ah! Of course! He doesn’t have any close connections with anyone else in the southwest, does he?”

She frowned, knee jiggling. “I don’t think so, no. The Chongzhi Province is mostly an exporter of wood and wood products. Paper, of course. Their wealth is in their forests.”

“Yes, and he’d naturally want to keep trade going. And who is his biggest competitor?” Nuo’s face was lit with excitement.

“Omashu! Of course!” She thumped herself on the forehead with a rueful grin. “My brain is full of cobwebs.”

“I would assume you are on good relations with the King of Omashu?”

“Well, as good as anyone can be. He’s a real pain in the ass.”

That got a giggle out of Nuo, an unexpectedly enchanting chortle of delight that nearly surprised her out of her seat. “Wing told me a story about a certain commemorative floral tribute for him.”

She had to join in the laughter. “Oh, Huan.” She shook her head. “He does know how to make a point. Yes, Omashu’s a pain but his daughter the Crown Princess is a personal friend, actually.”

“If memory serves, I believe that the Governor of Chongzhi has an unmarried daughter around my age.”

Su would lay odds that this girl’s memory did nothing but serve. “I’ll take your word on it.”

“Well then. There’s your answer. What better way to secure a relationship with one of the most wealthy and influential soon to be countries in the southwest than with a marriage?”

She sat back. “Huh. I think….I think you might have something there.” She threw up a hand. “Not that I would dream of marrying my children off for political gain.”

“Yes well, I doubt the idea would even occur to him that you wouldn’t.” She sighed. “Most of the people advising His Majesty are locked back a good hundred years in time, believe me.”

“Oh, I do.” She chuckled. “Well, if it’s a daughter he has, he’s in for disappointment. Baatar’s…well,” a little hitch in her voice at that one, but Nuo was polite enough to ignore it as she forged ahead, “and Huan certainly isn’t suitable. That leaves the twins, and I think we all know Wei won’t do.”

“Not quite,” Nuo replied, and they shared a look of amusement. “That leaves Wing, I suppose. Well, the Chongzhi daughter will just have to live with her disappointment. He’s unavailable.”

“I can see that he is,” she replied, and poured her a fresh cup of tea, enticing her back to the sofa. “I’ll just have to put Chongzhi off.”

“Hmmmm.”

“Hmmmm?”

“I believe I’ll have a word with the Representative of Gaoling on the way home. He has an unmarried nephew about the right age who is flitting around, completely useless. It’d get Chongzhi a son-in-law of good noble stock, a solid connection with a southwest province and he’d leave you alone. A win for everyone involved, I think.”

“You have a very devious mind, Miss Nuo.” She grinned at her. “I like it.”

“I promise I will only use it for Wing’s benefit,” she said, holding herself completely still. “I would always have him and his family’s best interests at heart.”

She took the cup back out of her hands. “Nuo, I told you, my children are not political pawns. If Wing loves you and you love him, that’s more than enough for me. And his father, too.”

“I do love him,” she said, and her voice trembled just slightly. “I love him very much. Please believe me.”

“I believe you,” she said. Impulsively she reached forward and tucked back a strand of her hair that was sliding out of her coiffure. Nuo’s eyes widened. “He loves you as well. I know my son. I also trust my son.” Well, at least this one she did.

“I felt I needed to discuss it with you because of Kuvira,” she said, that hand smoothing down her skirt again. “Wing loves you and his father very much, and I would not like you to think that I was in any way like her.”

“I understand. And I’m grateful.” She was, too. She was a singular woman, this Nuo, and she was beginning to understand why Wu relied on her so thoroughly. A knock at her door startled the both of them; her secretary put his head inside and reminded her that she had a meeting in fifteen minutes. “I’m sorry to cut this short. But listen, I mean what I said. I’m grateful that you came to speak to me. I’ll let Baatar know what we discussed as well.” She stood, Nuo standing with her.

“I do appreciate you hearing me out.” She took an almost imperceptible breath and squared her shoulders, all vulnerabilty tucked carefully back under that formidable exterior. Su put a hand to her arm.

“Listen, I know you are on what I’m sure is a very well-deserved holiday. But Baatar and I need to make a trip out to one of the mines tomorrow and you’re very welcome to come along if you’re interested. We’ll be gone all day though, so no worries if you’d rather stay here and relax.”

There went that smile again, the dimples coming out of hiding. “I would be very interested!”

“It can get a little grimy there, so you might want to wear something you aren’t too worried about getting dirty.”

“Of course.”

“Well, if you still feel up to it we’ll be catching the tram to the train station at 5:30 am sharp. I’m sorry for the early wake up, but it takes a little time to get out there.”

“That’s not a problem. Is Wing invited as well?”

“Do you think he’d want to come?” She cocked her head, waiting to hear what she would say.

“I think,” and here she was treading carefully, she could see, “that Wing would be interested if he felt that his interest was being taken seriously.”

“Duly noted. I’ll pass that along to his father as well.”

“We’ll be there, then.”   

“I look forward to it. And now I had better scoot before my secretary comes back in here and gives me what for.” Not that her secretary would. She suspected the one standing in front of her would, however. She was sure she managed Wu just fine. She was also sure, as she followed her out the door, that she would manage Wing just fine as well. And most likely the rest of them while she was at it. With a silent snort of laughter, she made her way into her meeting room, thinking of how much Baatar was going to enjoy this when she told him about it later.


	9. A Geminate Interval: Wing Washes Nuo's Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Nuo and Wing: _Having their hair washed by the other_ and _One character playing with the other's hair._

Nuo must have dozed off again; the sound of Wing in their bathroom woke her. Small sounds; the faint whirr of a zipper, the minute thump of the lid to the laundry basket closing. He was trying to be quiet.

“Wing?” she called, and he appeared in the doorway, his robe belted around him, a towel scrubbing at his wet head.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, did I wake you?“

“It’s not you, I have to pee again. Give me a hand?” The midwife had confirmed, months earlier, that she was expecting twins. She was no Su Beifong, however. Her mother-in-law was a tall woman, slender and strong. She’d carried Wing and Wei easily even into her third trimester. Nuo was none of those things, and she was enormous with her pregnancy, unwieldy and ponderous. She didn’t do much of anything in her eighth month but eat and sleep. 

Wing came and helped her to stand, giving her his arm into the bathroom. “Oh, Nuo. You look so tired. Isn’t there anything I can do for you? Anything?”

“Tell these children of yours that they need to hurry up and get out?”

He kissed her on the temple as she lowered herself to the toilet. “I wish I could. You know I’d carry them for you if could.”

“How’s the storm?” One of the worst spring storms that Zaofu had experienced in years was on its second day of raging. Wing had been run ragged himself heading up the repair crews.

“We lost a power line to the western dome a few hours ago. There are still some homes without power. Bao Li has his crew out there right now working on it.”

“Ah. Do you have to leave again?” Her voice was a little tremulous. “Wing, you haven’t been to sleep in nearly twenty-four hours. Surely someone else can take over for a bit.”

“No, it’s okay for now. I need a shower and some food and at least a few hours of sleep. I’m done for.” Suddenly he frowned a bit. “Nuo, why is your hair down? Wasn’t there anyone that could have helped you braid it up, at least?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t want to bother anyone, they’re all busy. Bad enough I can’t be of any use to anyone as it is.” She gestured to her belly. “I can’t even braid my own damn hair.”

“ _Nuo._ ”

“Oh never mind, it won’t kill me. It’ll be over soon enough.”

He stared at her for a moment and then went to their bathtub, putting in the plug and turning on the taps.

“What are you doing?”

“Running you a bath. I’ll scrub you and wash your hair. When it’s dry I’ll braid it up for you.”

“Wing! No. Absolutely _not_. You are supposed to be eating and getting some rest!”

“I will. But first you. You’re the one who’s working the hardest right now.” At her glare he smiled. “Fine, I’ll go get someone to bring me something to eat, okay? You can have some as well. Give me half a second, I’ll be right back. Watch your bathwater.” 

A half hour later she was sitting in the tub, Wing kneeling over the side, gently lathering up her thigh-length hair. 

“I still think you should be napping and not doing this right now.”

“I’m a big boy, Nuo. I know what I’m about.” What was clearly a foot suddenly caused a noticeable bulge in Nuo’s belly. “Look at that earthbender kick!”

“You don’t know if they will be earthbenders. None in my family, you know.”

“With kicks like that? Earthbenders for sure. Tilt your head forward for me.”

“Wing?”

“Mmhmm?”

“What if they aren’t? Earthbenders, I mean.”

Wing’s hands stilled. “Nuo, all I want are two healthy children. And a healthy mother to go along with them. I don’t have any control over whether they’ll be benders, and neither do you. They’ll be what they are. You should know me well enough by now to know that love for me doesn’t depend on whether or not someone is a bender.” He reached around to carefully kiss her cheek. “If they aren’t benders then you can be sure I won’t allow them to be shut out the way my brother was, though. That will _never_ happen. Not on my watch.” His fingers scrubbed circles into her scalp. “Let me rinse all of this out and then I’ll comb it and put in your hair oil. You can take a little nap with me and I can braid it up for you later, before I head back out.”

“You haven’t even taken your own shower.”

“You first. Then me. Come on, don’t you feel better now that you’re nice and clean?”

She tilted her head up to smile at him. “Yes. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. And it is my pleasure, too.” He put a soapy hand on her belly and smiled when he got a punch for his trouble.


	10. A Garden Blossoms: Nuo Is Pregnant Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archive of a Tumblr prompt.
> 
> Another flower for the garden.

He crept through the house, not wanting to turn on the lights. Nuo had left the one near the front door burning for him but he didn’t need it. He knew where he was going. Past the twins’ room and he peeked in; both of them sound asleep, Iris’s thumb firmly lodged in her mouth and Orchid’s butt straight up in the air. He smiled, backing out silently, leaving the door open a crack so they could hear them if they woke up.

Nuo was already in bed, of course. It was late. Rose was in her little crib on his side, wrapped up in blankets the way she liked to be. She squeaked in her sleep and stirred; he froze for a moment, waiting for her to settle back down before going into the bathroom, softly closing the door so he could get ready for bed without waking her. 

He eased himself into bed but Nuo woke up, of course. She always did.

“Sorry, honey,” he murmured. “It’s late. Go back to sleep.”

“They figure out what the problem was?” she whispered, snuggling back into him. He put his arms around her.

“Yeah, one of the transformers blew. They jerry-rigged it for now, we need some parts before we can do a permanent fix. Eun is going to make some calls tomorrow.” She smelled good, a faint mix of her perfume and breastmilk, and he pulled her closer.

“I called the healer today.” He frowned, trying to sit up. She clutched at his hands, tugging him to keep him where he was. “Don’t worry, everything’s fine.”

“Was it one of the girls?”

Rose squeaked again and they both stilled, listening in the darkness until they heard her snuffle and shift, quieting. Nuo squeezed his hands.

“The girls are fine.” She sighed. “I just needed him to confirm it for me.”

“Confirm what?” he asked, but he thought he knew. She’d already done this twice, after all. He recognized the signs by now.

“I’m pregnant.” She took in a deep breath and it came out wavery, the way it did when she cried. It was rare, Nuo crying, but it happened. He kissed her cheek, hugging her.

“Oh, honey. It’ll be fine.”

“I know.” She was definitely crying now. “I just…I’m so tired, Wing. I am so tired. And the idea of doing all this again?”

He turned her towards him, kissing her gently, his hand creeping to her belly. “I know, honey. I know. I’m sorry. I thought we’d be okay if we just took the herbs, but obviously not.” He blotted at her eyes with the sheets. “Listen, I’ll go in and have the healer do the procedure they do so this won’t happen again. Okay? I know it’s too late now, but anyhow. For later.” He smoothed back her hair, already trying to slide out of her braid.

“Are you sure? We can still use the herbs, at least until this one is born. What if she’s another girl?”

He shook his head, forgetting she couldn’t see him. “No, Nuo. We’re done. This will make baby number four. Four’s a perfect number.” He pulled her close again. “And if I’m honest with you, I’m used to girls by now. I’m kind of hoping she’s a girl.” He smiled in the dark.

“You sure? You don’t want a boy?”

He turned her carefully back over, spooning into her. “I’m very sure. If it’s a boy I’ll be happy. If it’s a girl I’ll be happy. So long as you are making it, I’ll be happy.” He kissed her once again. “I am happy, Nuo. I know you’re tired and I know how hard this will be on you and I hate that part. But a baby is good news. I know you were worried I’d be upset but honey, I’m not. I’m really not.”

“Foolish man,” she said, and sniffled again.

“Foolish daddy, you mean,” he said, and held her while she cried it all out.


	11. An Annual Offering: The Winter Solstice Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Beifongs welcome the coming of the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This goes out to everyone who struggles with the holiday season, for whatever reason. The light is returning!

Nuo smiled as she watched the girls bumping shoulders as they all walked towards the cemetery, their rice ball offerings on their decorative plates held carefully in their hands. It was the first year that the twins had made their own offerings and Iris had made a special effort with her own rice ball; she'd molded it so often trying to get it perfect that the rice had grown soggy and barely held together. She'd started to cry in frustration, stabbing her fingers into it until Wing had gently taken her hands into his and kissed them. Iris only cried when she was angry, the sobs wrenched out of her unwillingly as she fought against the tears as hard as she fought everything else. Wing always knew how to comfort her, though; he'd quietly soothe her until she was able to let go of her fury and calm down. He'd fetched her new rice and and dried her tears, telling her it was okay, she could start a new one, that the ancestors didn't expect that little girls who were still learning would get everything right the first time.

Well, it wasn't like Wing didn't know everything there was to know about handling passionate women, was it? She glanced over at him, Rose carried securely in his arms. Always the peacekeeper, her husband. Her hand dropped unconsciously to her belly, settling down on top of the curve of it. She was exhausted, quite frankly; three pregnancies and breastfeeding, toddler tantrums and never quite enough sleep. She didn't have any regrets, it wasn't that. But she was worn out with all of it. When the healer had confirmed what she had already known - that she was pregnant once again - Wing had taken her aside and told her he thought that maybe they were done, and she'd agreed. Three beautiful girls and another one on the way. It was more than enough for her. With a little sigh she contemplated her swollen feet. Not that she could see them or anything.

"Tired?" There was Su, smiling down at her. Su had breezed through all four of her pregnancies, Nuo knew. It was hard not to resent that, although she tried.

"I am, yes."

Su slowed her stride to match Nuo's slower and heavier pace. "You could have begged off, you know. I'm pretty sure the ancestors are forgiving of pregnant mothers. The light's coming back regardless."

"I know. But Iris worked so hard on her rice ball." She and Su both looked over at Iris, her mouth set with grim determination. "I didn't want her to be disappointed if I wasn't there to see her offer it up."

"She reminds me a lot of Baatar," Su said, her own mouth quirking up in a half-smile. It took Nuo a moment to realize she was speaking of her son, not her husband.

"Does she?"

Su nodded. "Once he got his mind stuck on something there was nothing that could budge him, nothing at all. It wasn't even stubbornness, although spirits know he inherited the Beifong stubborn streak. No. He'd decide he wanted to do something and if it didn't go exactly the way he had envisioned it he'd go to pieces." She raised her hand into a fist and then flung it open. "He was never able to abandon something in the middle, even when it was clear he was going to fail." Nuo was shocked to see the glimmer of tears in Su's eyes. "His father and I would try to dissuade him, but he would refuse to give way. I can't tell you how many times I'd go out to that workshop Baatar built him and find him in there, sobbing from exhaustion, still trying to do whatever it was he'd gotten fixated onto that time."

"Something like Huan, then?"

Su shook her head, the line between her eyebrows deepening. "Huan gets stuck on things, yes, but he doesn't criticize himself when things don't go as he planned. He works around it, bends his vision or learns from his mistakes and tries again. His failures inspire him, usually. Baatar, though..." She trailed off for a moment. "Don't get me wrong. He learns from his mistakes. He's a scientist. But he condemns himself for each and every mistake he makes. Every single one represents his own personal failings in his mind. I've never seen anyone as hard on themselves as he is. And I grew up with my sister, who is incredibly self-critical." A weary little laugh. "A legacy from our mother, that one."

Nuo's eyebrows raised of their own accord. It was rare to hear Su speak of her mother with anything less than devotion.

"I've asked myself, over and over again, where did I go wrong? How could I have done something different? Parented him another way, showed him how to accept his mistakes and not take them so personally?" She looked down at Nuo. "I don't know. I really don't. But I feel it, here." She pounded her fist over her heart. "I was so busy that I wasn't paying attention to all of the time that he was spending with Kuvira. When they were still living here, I mean. Kuvira always had a way of flattering people, of playing up to them to get what she wanted from them. I knew it, of course." She scoffed. "Didn't I use it? I knew that if I let her captain my guard they'd be very loyal to her, and sure enough. They were." Her exhale was sharp and led to a bitter smile. "When she left, just about all of them left with her. And Baatar? She gave him exactly what it was he was looking for. Approval. Attention. The freedom to express himself and see his ideas come to fruition." She breathed in deeply, gritting her teeth. "A one way ticket out of Zaofu, where everyone saw him as the non-bender Beifong. Not that I saw any of this at the time, of course. I was too angry. Betrayed. I did exactly the wrong thing, blamed it all on Kuvira, said she had brainwashed him."

"Ah. You infantilized him just as he was trying to show you he was growing up."

Su leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Spirits, but you're a wise woman, Nuo. Wiser than me, that's for damn sure. Every single day I'm grateful that Wing brought you home."

Nuo felt her cheeks heating up a bit, a feeling she was not used to. "Oh, Mom."

Su wrapped her arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug, careful not to tip her own rice ball off its plate. "Well, it's true." They walked together in silence for a bit, Su keeping her arm around her shoulder, helping to support her. The rest of the family had pulled ahead; Wing turned at one point and stopped walking but Nuo smiled and nodded him on and he shifted Rose on his hip before continuing after the twins.

"I know he can't come back here," Su said, her sigh shuddering through her. "I'm so worried about him, though. I don't know how he is, Nuo. He didn't even tell us he had the chance to get out of prison early and then he just disappeared. I'm so frightened. I can't stop thinking...what if he..." She trailed off and a sob escaped her before she moved her arm away to clap her free hand to her mouth. Nuo stopped and put her hand to her shoulder.

"Oh, Mom. I'm sure you'll hear from him eventually. He'll turn up somewhere."

Su was weeping now. "He's always been so hard on himself and every time we went to see him there he was moving further and further away from us. He'd just sit there, staring past us at the wall, barely even answering our questions. Oh spirits, what if he's never coming back to us?"

Nuo tugged on her gently until she got her to move towards one of the benches in the garden, pulling her down with her, taking her plate out of her hand to set it next to her own. "Don't give up hope."

Su put her hands to her cheeks. "I'm trying. I wanted to go and search for him, but where would I even start? Where will he go? He didn't stay in Republic City, Lin called in a few favors, she's as sure as anyone can be that he's not there. How will he live?"

"He's an adult," Nuo said, as kindly as she could. "He probably just needs a little time and space to think things through." She fished in a pocket and handed over a hankie. Su mopped at her face.

"I hope you're right." Su met her eyes. "He had so much put on him. We put so much responsibility on him. He was always so steady, so mature." Another tear escaped and she caught it with the fabric. "Baatar doesn't have any siblings but I should have known better. My mother always expected so much out of Lin; too much, especially when it came to bearing the burden of caring for me when she was far too young for it. Lin tried to shoulder so much and it just tore away at her. I've apologized for it now that we're older, but what did I turn around and do?" Another sob. "I did the same thing to him, Nuo. How many times did I leave him in charge of Huan? Of Huan, of all people! Baatar was less than three years older than him. We had no idea what to do with Huan when he was young, how did we expect him to know? And the twins, spirits, the two of them were a terror when they were small." 

Nuo smiled at her. "I think Wei's still a terror."

Su rolled her eyes and managed a watery smile back. "Do not get me started on Wei." Another swipe at her eyes. "But we put so much pressure on him, always expecting him to be responsible, to be mature, to be a proper Beifong. Baatar and I just assumed he'd take over the city some day and neither one of us ever even stopped to consider that it might not be what he wanted." She shook her head. "Kuvira is a manipulative woman and she used him, but she was the one that recognized that he was desperately unhappy. Not his father or me."

"I'm no engineer, but even I can recognize the accomplishment of that Colossus. I don't think it's any great surprise that Kuvira would have wanted him at her side."

Su reached over and took Nuo's hand in hers, staring off into the night. Her voice was quiet. "He's brilliant, Nuo. I don't say that as a bragging parent. He's probably the most intelligent person I know, and I know a lot of intelligent people, you included. A few years back I asked Zhu Li how it was that Baatar was able to stabilize the spirit vine energy and use that weapon and she told me that the mechanics behind it are so far beyond everything else we know at this point in time that even she didn't understand all of it at first glance." Another wry smile. "Unlike most people, I was always aware that Zhu Li was the brains behind Varrick. If she didn't understand it then I certainly never will." She looked over at Nuo. "He didn't write it down, Nuo. The plans for the Colossus, I mean. It was all in his head. All of it. He just told the benders and mechanics working on it their daily task and nothing more. It's how he was able to keep it secret. Zhu Li and Varrick were the ones experimenting on the spirit vines but they had never figured out how to make them stable enough to actually use. It was my son that did that. My brilliant, beautiful son." Her laughter snarled out of her. "My mother never had any use for him. He wasn't a bender and as far as she was concerned, no nonbender was ever going to measure up to her beloved Sokka. But what he did? His accomplishment? Was every bit as impressive as her creating metalbending. And she refused to ever give him credit for it." The tears were coming down unchecked now. "I'm supposed to go and leave her an offering tonight. She ground down my sister under her heel and did the same to my boy. I don't want to honor her. I'm so angry at her." Her eyes widened.

Nuo smiled at her. "I'd say you were."

Su's hand crept up to cover her mouth. "I am," she said wonderingly. "I really am. I am so angry at her. I..." She shook her head. "I am so fucking angry at her, Nuo." She scoffed. "I don't...I don't think I ever realized it before." She flicked her hand out, that Beifong gesture that Wing did as well. "I mean, of course I would get pissed at her, she was the kind of woman who regularly pissed people off, believe me. But I...I don't think I realized how truly angry I was." She put her head in her hands. "This probably doesn't make any sense."

"My parents haven't spoken to me in seven years," Nuo said. "My grandfather died before I left school but I have no idea if any of the rest of them are dead at this point. My grandmother? Is she still alive? I have no idea who it is I am supposed to be honoring tonight." She put her hand on Su's arm. "It makes sense to me." She kissed Su's temple. "Families can really suck it."

Su laughed then, a real laugh. She wrapped her arms around Nuo, and hugged her closely, Nuo returning her embrace. "Oh, Nuo, I wasn't kidding when I said I was so glad Wing brought you home."

Nuo reached over and took the rice ball off of Su's plate, handing it to her before taking up her own. "I say we eat these ourselves." At Su's look she tilted her chin up defiantly. "My grandfather told me that I was shaming the family by going off to school, that my mother and her mother had always been laundresses and that I had no right to go above my station." She held up her rice ball towards the deep black of the solstice sky, the stars hidden behind the clouds. "Well. Fuck you, Granddad. I refused then to accept what you said about me, and I still refuse to accept it. I never needed your or any other ancestor's help to bring the light back into my life. I always brought it for myself." She took a deliberate bite out of her rice ball and then raised an eyebrow at Su.

Su's eyes filled up again. She held up her own ball. "Fuck you, Mom. Fuck you for never telling me who my father was. Fuck you for always looking down on my husband because he wasn't a bender. Fuck you for all the pain you caused Lin. Fuck you for all the pain you caused my boy. I'll always be grateful for what you did for Huan, but it doesn't make up for how you treated Junior and it never will." The tears were sliding down her cheeks. "Why don't you make yourself useful as a matriarch for once and guide my boy somewhere safe? Bring some light into his life. Then we can see about honoring you for something else besides your damn bending." She crammed the entire rice ball into her mouth with a snarl, chewing down on it furiously. Nuo ate hers in several well-relished bites.

"Did the two of you just eat your offerings?" Baatar was staring down at the two of them, a bemused smile on his face. He reached out to gently swipe the back of his fingers across Su's wet cheeks. "Oh, Susi."

Su shrugged. "I didn't feel like honoring my mother tonight." She sniffled. "So I ate it instead."

Baatar's smile widened. "Well, good for you." He leaned down and faux-whispered into her ear, "I never liked your mother anyhow."

That got a laugh out of Su and Nuo smiled. Baatar nudged Su over to sit down between them. "It's not too cold out tonight, at least."

Nuo sighed a little. "I suppose I should go help Wing with the girls." She started to heave herself up but Baatar reached across to lay a gentle hand on her belly. 

"Wing's got everything in hand. Why don't you take a little rest here? He and the girls will be along." He pulled her shawl a little closer over her shoulders. "Then we can go in and have our Solstice Feast. That was always my favorite part, anyhow."

"Ha! The feast's always your favorite part of anything," Su said, and leaned her head against his. He put one arm around her and another around his daughter-in-law, who leaned her own head against his shoulder. "Isn't that what they say? That the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?"

"Do you even cook?" Nuo asked, a giggle bubbling out of her, unchecked.

"She does not," said Baatar, with his own little chuckle. "Once when we were first together she got ambitious and made me pancakes. Burnt them into black rubber, too. All of them. They were terrible."

"You ate them though, you foolish man," Su replied, smiling as she wiped at her face with her sleeves.

"That's love for you," he replied, and then waved as Wing came around the path with his girls.

 


	12. A Buccaneer's Tale: Chef Chats With The Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chef makes an afternoon snack for the Flower Garden.
> 
> Written for the Different POV Challenge on Tumblr. Prompt by queeniedear!

"And then you stuck him in the belly with a big sword?" Orchid demonstrated with a chopstick and a lunge, her braids swinging. For all her pretty dimpled smiles, she was gritty little thing. People expected it out of Iris, what with her temper and that fierce way about her, but Iris was soft on the inside. Orchid was the one who'd stick you while fluttering her eyelashes, sure as the rain came from the sky. Just like her Granny, that girl.

"You think it was so easy as that?" Koxinga continued to pinch the bao into shape. "He was a waterbender, I told you." 

"So you snuck up behind him and clanged him on the head with a frying pan?" Orchid snatched a pan up and then grinned as she brandished it wildly. "You did, didn't you?"

He had to laugh. "Well, that's about the shape of it. I came up right behind him when he wasn't looking. Remember what I say and always watch your back, girls."

"Did you kill him?" Iris's hands were on her hips, and she was scowling, a look that had seen grown men hauling it out of her way. "Pans are heavy."

"Now why would I want to go and do that?" Point of fact, he had, in the heat of the moment, bashed a little too hard. He wasn't going to tell the Flowers that, though. He edited his stories down for them much like he'd done for their Da when he was a boy. He hadn't been a good man, back in those days. He hadn't become a pirate for a good cause; he'd wanted wealth and he'd been raised on Kyoshi, where boats were every bit as familiar to him as dry land. It seemed as good as way as any other for making a quick fortune. He'd kept up with it for a few years and done a lot of things he regretted; stoving in a man's head with a pan wasn't the worst of it, either. He might be doing it still if his Seong hadn't been killed in a battle with the Southern Water Tribe's Navy. That's when the bottom had dropped out for him. A couple of years more with his head in a bottle in every low-life harbor joint along the west coast before he'd finally gotten himself together, got off the bottle and tried to make a decent living of it. It hadn't been easy; tattoos were commonplace for the Water Tribe people and everyone knew that the Fire Shamans had their share but back in those days they meant only one thing in the Earth Kingdom, and that was that you were a criminal of some sort. Taverns weren't too particular about who they hired, but he was tired of nothing but greasy noodles and meat that had come from who knows where. The further inland he went, the less likely he was able to even get a foot in the door, never mind an interview or a chance to cook for them. He was about ready to give it up, too, until he'd heard word of a brand new city being built in the valley nestled between the mountains south of Omashu. He'd made his way there and had asked if anyone was looking to hire a cook and someone called for the woman who was heading up the city. There she'd come, that bright grin on her face, belly full to bursting with Junior; she'd given him a long, amused look before she pointed and said, "See that man? That's my husband. If you can get him to actually eat the job is yours." He'd tried to explain to her about his background - didn't want it said he was hiding anything from her - but she'd just laughed. "I've got a half done Republic City Triad tattoo on my arm I had covered up with a flower a few years back. Fatten up that man of mine and we're good to go."

She'd saved him. First person in his life who'd looked at him like he'd had any worth since Seong had died. He'd give his life for Su Beifong. When that ungrateful piece of shit Kuvira had taken the city he'd planned with some others to rescue the family; he'd been so relieved to hear that Opal had broken them out he'd wept for the first time since he'd been in short pants. He'd led the city's resistance, too. Some of the younger and more hot-headed citizens of Zaofu had wanted to take her soldiers head on, but that was just foolishness. A large dose of turmeric in their soup had taken out nearly an entire regiment with stomach cramping; meat that had been left in the sun for a few days worked as well. He knew how to weaken an enemy and then sail in to take advantage. He fought dirty. He wasn't sorry for it, either.

He'd come across Junior just once. He was standing in the shattered remains of Huan's atelier, fists clenched. He'd thought he hadn't seen him; he was easing away when Junior spoke. "This will kill him," he said, and the moonlight had flashed off of his lenses as he turned his head. "I didn't...I didn't know she'd do this." Koxinga had stared at him, this man whom he'd helped care for from the time he'd taken his first breath, and Junior had looked away. "They got away, you know. Opal came for them."

"I know," he'd answered.

Junior reached out and ran his fingers across a lump of twisted, shattered metal. "Why couldn't she have just accepted it?" 

They both knew he was talking about his mother. "Son," he'd replied. "Kuvira was counting on her not accepting it. You and I both know it. The only ending she's ever wanted was the one where your mother's head would be mounted on her wall as a prize."

Junior had stood there, silent, for a moment that had lasted forever. Then, without another look, he walked away. It was the last time he'd seen him for years and years.

And now he had her granddaughters, the ones they called the Flower Garden, in his kitchen. Wing's girls; Orchid, the determined peacemaker, the beauty of the family. Iris, so fierce and brilliant and fragile. Little Rose, lost in her own world the way her uncle had always been, her father's favorite. And baby Poppy, barely walking and already stubborn as a stone, a Beifong if there had ever been one. They were good girls. Their father had been a happy boy who'd grown into a good and kind man. Their mother - oh, what a pirate she would have been, that woman! She was everything that Su Beifong had once hoped Kuvira would have been, he knew. 

And him? Ah, but he was getting older. Slowing down, just a little. A few years back Su had come to him and over a bottle of sake had told him she thought maybe he could use an assistant. He'd been hurt at first; didn't she want him around? But he had to admit she was right. He had two assistants now and it was a relief not to have to do it all himself. If he had time in the mornings to enjoy a leisurely cup of tea while someone else was preparing breakfast for the family then who did it harm? He still had charge of the menu, still made sure it was up to his exacting standards. He still kneaded the dough for the bao the girls ate in the afternoons. He still made the hard sailor biscuits that little Poppy was currently chewing on, the firm texture helping to soothe her sore gums where her teeth were erupting. He'd made some for Junior when he was just a baby and fussing with the pain; it'd worked such a treat that he'd made it for every other Beifong baby that had come along. He'd even shipped boxes of it to Opal when her three had been babies.

Someday, if there were babies up at the Northern Air Temple, he guessed he do the same for them as well.

He took the first batch of bao out of the steamer, clucking his tongue at Iris, who was apt to burn herself by grabbing too soon. "You girls let these cool some." He took one and cut into small bites, his own fingers inured to the heat. When it cooled he'd give it to Poppy. He'd have to keep an eye on Rose; if you didn't guide her she'd ignore the food, like her uncle and her grandfather before her. The twins, though, were already squealing as they tossed the too hot bao from hand to hand, dancing in a little circle.

"Do I smell bao?" There was Wing, grinning in the doorway. Even as a boy he'd had a knack for knowing when there was food ready. He nodded a bow towards him.

"It's hot, Daddy! Chef just pulled them out!" Iris took a bite and then fanned her mouth, eyes wide. "Hot! Hot!" He shook his head at her with a little smile. So impatient, that was Iris.

"Well, don't put it in your mouth, then!" Wing leaned down to kiss her on the top of her head. "I came to fetch some for Mommy. Some tea, too, please." The younger of his assistants, Jai, nodded and and reached for the pink teapot with the flowers that was always kept reserved for her. Wing snitched one and stuffed it in his mouth, waving his own hand. "Oh! Hot! Hot!"

Orchid giggled. "Don't put it in your mouth then, Daddy."

"Cheeky!" Wing cried, and threw arms around his two eldest. "Is that any way to speak to your poor, hardworking Daddy?" He kissed them both before taking the plate with the pieces, testing them before taking away the gummy piece of biscuit and putting the plate before Poppy, who let out with a happy shout before trying to shove a fistful of them into her mouth at once. He went down to his haunches, smiling at Rose. "Do you want a bao, Rosie-Posie?" She glanced up from the egg-sized chunk of rose quartz she took with her everywhere. "They're good..." He reached for one, meeting Chef's eyes with a nod. 

"Char siu," he said, passing it over to Wing. "Your favorite, Rose."

Rose didn't answer, but she reached out and took a small bite of the bun.

"Daddy, Chef was telling us about the time he bonked someone on the head with a pan, back when he was a pirate!" Orchid stuffed the rest of the bun into her mouth.

"Was he, now?" Wing tipped him a wink before taking a bite of his own bun. "Oh, Uncle Wei and I loved Chef's stories when we were little boys. Once we built our own pirate ship and tried to sail it in the fountain."

"Did it work?" Iris tipped her head speculatively.

"It did not. We got very wet and Granny yelled us for breaking apart of her nice cabinets to get the wood for it." Wing laughed. "Oh boy, we were in big trouble over that one!"

"Uh oh!" Orchid snickered, and Wing's easy laughter filled the kitchen.

Jai was making tea; his other assistant, Ming, was chopping cabbage with a little smile, listening to the girls prattle on. Some day, he'd retire for good. He'd always lived in the servants' quarters; he'd have a place there as long as he wanted, he knew. Someday he'd be buried here, in this beautiful valley, where he no longer had to smell the treacherous sea. He put the next batch of bao into the steamer and smiled. It was a good life.


End file.
